Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

अरघट्टघटीतुल्यौ कुचौ दौःशील्यसूचकौ । पीवरास्यौ सांतरालौ पृथूपांतौ न शोभनौ

Transliteration

araghaṭṭaghaṭītulyau kucau dauḥśīlyasūcakau | pīvarāsyau sāṃtarālau pṛthūpāṃtau na śobhanau

Translation

Brüste, die den Gefäßen eines Wasserrades (Araghaṭṭa) gleichen, gelten als Hinweis auf schlechten Charakter. Sind sie vorn schwer, mit großem Zwischenraum und breiten Seiten, so heißt es, sie seien nicht anmutig.

Word by Word

• araghaṭṭaghaṭītulyau: like the pots of a water-wheel
• araghaṭṭaghaṭītulyau: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ara-ghaṭṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + ghaṭī (प्रातिपदिक) + tulya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषणम्; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (अरघट्टघटीवत् तुल्यौ)

• kucau: breasts
• kucau: Karta/Āśraya
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• dauḥśīlyasūcakau: indicating bad character
• dauḥśīlyasūcakau: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dauḥśīlya (प्रातिपदिक) + sūcaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (दौःशील्यं सूचयतः)

• pīvarāsyau: broad-faced/large-fronted
• pīvarāsyau: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pīvara (प्रातिपदिक) + āsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; कर्मधारयः (पीनम् आस्यमिव/मुखमिव)

• sāṃtarālau: with a gap/space between
• sāṃtarālau: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-antara (प्रातिपदिक) + āla (प्रातिपदिक/प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (अन्तरालं सन्ति)

• pṛthūpāṃtau: broad at the sides/ends
• pṛthūpāṃtau: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pṛthu (प्रातिपदिक) + upānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; कर्मधारयः (पृथु उपान्तौ)

• na: not
• na: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्

• śobhanau: beautiful, pleasing
• śobhanau: Predicate qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śobhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (विधेय)

Speaker

Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher uses a water-wheel pot (araghaṭṭa-ghaṭī) as a metaphor while instructing students; the pot and wheel become the central visual symbol, keeping the scene allegorical and modest.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It uses traditional physiognomic symbolism to caution about conduct, aligning outer signs with inner disposition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; it remains within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.