Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

चतुर्भिरंगुलैः शस्ता कटिर्विंशतिसंयुतैः । समुन्नतनितंबाढ्या चतुरस्रा मृगीदृशाम्

Transliteration

caturbhiraṃgulaiḥ śastā kaṭirviṃśatisaṃyutaiḥ | samunnatanitaṃbāḍhyā caturasrā mṛgīdṛśām

Translation

Gepriesen wird eine Taille von zwanzig Fingerbreiten. Die, deren Hüften wohlgefüllt sind, mit erhobenen Gesäßrundungen, und deren Gestalt vierseitig, wohlproportioniert ist — so sind die rehaugigen Frauen beschrieben.

Word by Word

• चतुर्भिः: with four
• चतुर्भिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण (instrumental plural)

• अङ्गुलैः: by fingers (finger-breadths)
• अङ्गुलैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• शस्ता: commended
• शस्ता: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंस् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (praised/commended)

• कटिः: waist
• कटिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (nominative singular)

• विंशति: twenty
• विंशति: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; समासे पूर्वपद (twenty)

• संयुतैः: joined with
• संयुतैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + युज् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/त), पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया बहुवचन; विशेषण (joined/combined)

• समुन्नत: well-raised
• समुन्नत: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + उत् + नत (प्रातिपदिक; नत from नम् धातु)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद-विशेषण (raised/high)

• नितम्ब: buttocks
• नितम्ब: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नितम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासाङ्ग (buttock/hip)

• आढ्या: abounding in
• आढ्या: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (rich/abounding)

• समुन्नतनितम्बाढ्या: having well-raised buttocks
• समुन्नतनितम्बाढ्या: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुन्नत + नितम्ब + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘समुन्नतनितम्बैः आढ्या’ इति (having well-raised buttocks)

• चतुरस्रा: four-sided
• चतुरस्रा: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + अस्र (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अस्र’ = side/edge)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (four-sided/square)

• मृगीदृशाम्: of doe-eyed women
• मृगीदृशाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगी + दृश् (प्रातिपदिक; दृश् = eye/look)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास ‘मृगीव दृशौ यस्याः/यासाम्’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचन (genitive plural)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A courtly/śāstric setting where a narrator enumerates auspicious feminine proportions; the imagery is idealized and stylized rather than individualized, with emphasis on symmetry and poised stance.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It functions as traditional lakṣaṇa (characteristic) description rather than a direct moral injunction, reflecting how Purāṇic narration includes worldly markers alongside sacred discourse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, centered on Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), though this particular verse is descriptive and not naming a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.