Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

विशिरैः करभाकारैरूरुभिर्मसृणैर्घनैः । सुवृत्तैरोमरहितैर्भवेयुर्भूपवल्लभाः

Transliteration

viśiraiḥ karabhākārairūrubhirmasṛṇairghanaiḥ | suvṛttairomarahitairbhaveyurbhūpavallabhāḥ

Translation

Frauen mit breiten, wohlgeformten Schenkeln, dem Rüssel eines Elefanten gleich—glatt, fest, schön gerundet und haarlos—werden zu den Geliebten der Könige.

Word by Word

• विशिरैः: with well-formed (thighs)
• विशिरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (ऊरुभिः)

• करभाकारैः: with camel-like shape
• करभाकारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: करभ-आकार (प्रातिपदिक; करभ + आकार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• ऊरुभिः: with thighs
• ऊरुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• मसृणैः: smooth
• मसृणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मसृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• घनैः: thick, firm
• घनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• सुवृत्तैः: well-rounded
• सुवृत्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक; सु + वृत्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• रोमरहितैः: hairless
• रोमरहितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोम-रहित (प्रातिपदिक; रोम + रहित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• भवेयुः: would become
• भवेयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकारः (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• भूपवल्लभाः: beloveds of kings
• भूपवल्लभाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप-वল্লभ (प्रातिपदिक; भूप + वल्लभ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Courtly idealization: a noblewoman with well-formed, smooth, firm thighs likened to an elephant’s trunk (karabha), presented as a sign of being ‘beloved of kings’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious bodily proportions are celebrated as outward signs of inner balance and favorable destiny within the lakṣaṇa tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśī-khaṇḍa setting (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), though no individual tīrtha is named.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.