Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

मालाकारवधूः काचित्काचिन्नापितसुंदरी । सूतिकर्मविचारज्ञा ऽपरा भैषज्यकोविदा

Transliteration

mālākāravadhūḥ kācitkācinnāpitasuṃdarī | sūtikarmavicārajñā 'parā bhaiṣajyakovidā

Translation

Eine wurde die Gattin eines Kranzbinders; eine andere erschien als schöne Barbierin. Eine war kundig in der Geburtshilfe; und eine weitere war erfahren in Heilmitteln.

Word by Word

• मालाकार: of the garland-maker/florist
• मालाकार: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मालाकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मालानां कारः/कर्ता इति); पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचनम् (समासपूर्वपदत्वे)

• वधूः: bride/wife
• वधूः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वधू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

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

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

• नापित: of the barber
• नापित: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नापित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचनम् (समासपूर्वपदत्वे)

• सुंदरी: beautiful woman
• सुंदरी: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

• सूति: of childbirth/parturition
• सूति: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचनम् (समासपूर्वपदत्वे)

• कर्म: procedure/act
• कर्म: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचनम् (समासपूर्वपदत्वे)

• विचार: examination/consideration
• विचार: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचनम् (समासपूर्वपदत्वे)

• ज्ञा: knowing/skilled
• ज्ञा: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञ (धातु) + क (प्रत्यय) → ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) / ज्ञा (स्त्री)
• Form: कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक (ज्ञ = knowing); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• अपरा: another (woman)
• अपरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपरा (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• भैषज्य: of medicine
• भैषज्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैषज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचनम् (समासपूर्वपदत्वे)

• कोविदा: expert
• कोविदा: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोविद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four vignettes: a garland-maker’s home with flowers; a barber-woman with grooming tools; a midwife attending a mother; a healer preparing herbs—each with a barely perceptible divine glow, set against Kāśī’s lanes and shrine silhouettes.

Characters & Entities

• Yoginīs (implied)
• Mālākāra (garland-maker)
• Nāpita (barber)
• Sūtikarma (childbirth care)
• Bhaiṣajya (medicine)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service-oriented roles (healing, caregiving, temple garlands) are portrayed as dharmic expressions within Kāśī’s sacred ecosystem.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is implicitly glorified as a city where all strata of life and service can become vehicles of sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse lists professions/roles rather than a formal rite.