Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

मुक्ताकलापं रचयांचक्रे वक्षोजमंडले । काचिच्छशिमुखी तां तु चंद्रकांतशिलातले

Transliteration

muktākalāpaṃ racayāṃcakre vakṣojamaṃḍale | kācicchaśimukhī tāṃ tu caṃdrakāṃtaśilātale

Translation

Eine ordnete ein Bündel von Perlen auf ihrem Busen; und eine andere, mondgesichtig, bettete sie auf eine Platte aus Candrakānta-Stein.

Word by Word

• मुक्ताकलापम्: a pearl-ornament/cluster
• मुक्ताकलापम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ता-कलाप (प्रातिपदिक; मुक्ता + कलाप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्

• रचयाम्: arranged
• रचयाम्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत) परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd) एकवचनम्; ‘रचयाम्’ (perfect 3sg form)

• चक्रे: made/did
• चक्रे: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत) आत्मनेपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd) एकवचनम्

• वक्षोजमण्डले: on the breast-region
• वक्षोजमण्डले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्षोज-मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक; वक्षस्/वक्षोज + मण्डल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी) एकवचनम्; अधिकरण (on/at)

• काचित्: a certain woman
• काचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्

• शशिमुखी: moon-faced
• शशिमुखी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शशि-मुखी (प्रातिपदिक; शशि + मुखी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्—काचित्

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषबोधक-अव्ययम् (particle: but/indeed)

• चन्द्रकान्तशिलातले: on the surface of a moonstone slab
• चन्द्रकान्तशिलातले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रकान्त-शिला-तल (प्रातिपदिक; चन्द्रकान्त + शिला + तल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी) एकवचनम्; अधिकरण (upon)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moon-faced attendant drapes a pearl cluster across the lady’s chest and gently lays her on a luminous candrakānta slab that seems to exude coolness, with faint watery sheen.

Characters & Entities

• muktā (pearls)
• candrakānta-śilā (moonstone/cooling stone)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In dharmic care, beauty and comfort can be offered without agitation—helping the afflicted regain steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the textual setting, but this verse does not glorify a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it depicts cooling, comforting arrangements (stone slab, adornment).