Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

कुमारत्वेपि सामान्ये कथं त्वहमनुत्तमः । कथं त्वं मंदभाग्यासि सुकुक्षिः सुरुचिः कथम्

Transliteration

kumāratvepi sāmānye kathaṃ tvahamanuttamaḥ | kathaṃ tvaṃ maṃdabhāgyāsi sukukṣiḥ suruciḥ katham

Translation

„Obwohl wir als Prinzen gleich sind, warum bin ich nicht ‚Uttama‘, der Höchste? Warum bist du von geringerer Glücksfülle, und wie ist Suruci von gesegnetem Schoß, so viel begünstigter?“

Word by Word

• कुमारत्वे: in (the condition of) being a prince/son
• कुमारत्वे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; neuter, locative, singular

• अपि: even
• अपि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• सामान्ये: when (it is) common/equal
• सामान्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सामान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; neuter, locative, singular; qualifying (अधिकरण)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय

• त्वा: you
• त्वा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; pronoun, accusative, singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative, singular

• अनुत्तमः: not excellent/inferior
• अनुत्तमः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; masculine, nominative, singular; predicate adjective

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; pronoun, nominative, singular

• मन्दभाग्या: of poor fortune
• मन्दभाग्या: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्दभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; feminine, nominative, singular; compound: मन्द (poor) + भाग्य (fortune)

• असि: are
• असि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; 2nd person singular

• सुकुक्षिः: (she) of good womb
• सुकुक्षिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुकुक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; feminine, nominative, singular; compound: सु (good) + कुक्षि (womb)

• सुरुचिः: Suruci
• सुरुचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; feminine, nominative, singular (proper name)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय

Speaker

Dhruva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dhruva emphasizes the word ‘Uttama’ with a sharp gesture, then points to himself, questioning destiny; Sunīti’s hands clasp in helplessness; a faint background hint of Suruci’s quarters suggests division in the palace.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Sunīti
• Suruci
• Uttama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Comparisons breed suffering; dharma redirects ambition from jealousy to disciplined effort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is glorified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.