Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

जाड्यवार्ता जलेष्वेव स्त्रीमध्या एव दुर्बलाः । कठोरहृदया यत्र सीमंतिन्यो न मानवाः

Transliteration

jāḍyavārtā jaleṣveva strīmadhyā eva durbalāḥ | kaṭhorahṛdayā yatra sīmaṃtinyo na mānavāḥ

Translation

Wo stumpfes, sinnloses Gerede nur in den Wassern zu finden ist (als wäre alles von Torheit durchtränkt); wo Schwäche vornehmlich inmitten der Frauen erscheint; und wo verheiratete Frauen hartherzig statt menschlich sind—ein solches Land zählt zu den Entarteten.

Word by Word

• jāḍyavārtā: News of coldness/dullness
• jāḍyavārtā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāḍyavārtā (जाड्यवार्ता)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular

• jaleṣu: In waters
• jaleṣu: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (जल)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (सप्तमी), Plural

• eva: Only/Alone
• eva: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (एव)
• Form: Particle (Emphasis)

• strīmadhyāḥ: Waists of women
• strīmadhyāḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strīmadhya (स्त्रीमध्य)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural

• eva: Only
• eva: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (एव)
• Form: Particle (Emphasis)

• durbalāḥ: Weak/Frail
• durbalāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durbala (दुर्बल)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural

• kaṭhorahṛdayāḥ: Hard-hearted (lit. having hard chests/breasts)
• kaṭhorahṛdayāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaṭhorahṛdayā (कठोरहृदया)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural

• yatra: Where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (यत्र)
• Form: Adverb (Relative Place)

• sīmantinyaḥ: Women (lit. parting the hair)
• sīmantinyaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sīmantinī (सीमन्तिनी)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural

• na: Not
• na: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (न)
• Form: Particle (Negation)

• mānavāḥ: Men/Humans
• mānavāḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (मानव)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral-allegory tableau: a bleak ‘degraded land’ with people speaking aimlessly like rippling water, faces indifferent; in contrast, a luminous Kāśī skyline with ghāṭas and a Śiva-liṅga radiating calm, softening stern expressions into devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A land is judged by the refinement of speech, strength of character, and compassion; dharma and bhakti cultivate softness of heart.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is praised implicitly as a heart-purifying sacred space, contrasted with places marked by harshness and dullness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the implied path is dharmic living and devotion that ennobles conduct.