Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

व्यभ्रेह्नि वारिपूर्णास्यः पृष्ठीकृत्य दिवाकरम् । फूत्कृत्याश्विंद्रचापं न पश्येत्षण्मासजीवितः

Transliteration

vyabhrehni vāripūrṇāsyaḥ pṛṣṭhīkṛtya divākaram | phūtkṛtyāśviṃdracāpaṃ na paśyetṣaṇmāsajīvitaḥ

Translation

An einem wolkenlosen Tag: Füllt man den Mund mit Wasser, kehrt der Sonne den Rücken zu und sieht nach dem Ausblasen (Versprühen) keinen Regenbogen, so heißt es, dass man nur noch sechs Monate lebt.

Word by Word

• वि-अभ्रे: in a cloudless (sky)
• वि-अभ्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + अभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘अभ्रे’ इति पदे ‘वि’ उपसर्गवत् अव्ययप्रयोगः (अर्थः: मेघरहिते)

• अह्नि: in the daytime
• अह्नि: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• वारि-पूर्ण-आस्यः: with mouth filled with water
• वारि-पूर्ण-आस्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (अध्याहृतः ‘जनः’)

• पृष्ठी-कृत्य: having turned (one's back)
• पृष्ठी-कृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• दिवाकरम्: the Sun
• दिवाकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• फूत्-कृत्य: having made a ‘phūt’ sound (spitting/blowing)
• फूत्-कृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: फूत् (अनुकरण/अव्यय) + कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive); अनुकरणपूर्वक-क्रिया

• अश्वि-इन्द्र-चापम्: the rainbow
• अश्वि-इन्द्र-चापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + चाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अश्विनोः/अश्विनौ सम्बन्धः)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• पश्येत्: should see
• पश्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• षण्मास-जीवितः: one whose life is (only) six months
• षण्मास-जीवितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षण्मास (प्रातिपदिक) + जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्य जीवितं षण्मासपर्यन्तम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (ariṣṭa test with indra-cāpa)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a bright cloudless day at a Kāśī ghat, a person stands with back to the blazing Sun, mouth filled with water, spraying it into the air; the expected rainbow fails to appear, leaving an empty arc in the sky—an ominous negative sign.

Characters & Entities

• Divākara (Sūrya)
• Indra (Indracāpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even ordinary sights become spiritual indicators; the wise use them to awaken renunciation and devotion without delay.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in Kāśī Khaṇḍa; it supports the broader Kāśī message of preparing for liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A described observational test involving water in the mouth, turning from the Sun, and attempting to see the rainbow; it is presented as an omen rather than a merit-rite.