Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

यथा च कोकिलालापा यथा मधुरभाषिणी । गद्यपद्यनिधिर्यद्वदनुक्तज्ञा यथा च सा

Transliteration

yathā ca kokilālāpā yathā madhurabhāṣiṇī | gadyapadyanidhiryadvadanuktajñā yathā ca sā

Translation

Möge sie melodisch sein wie der Gesang des Kuckucks; süß im Sprechen; wie ein Schatz an Prosa und Dichtung; und eine, die selbst das Ungesagte versteht—so möge sie sein.

Word by Word

• यथा: as/like
• यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• कोकिलालापा: cuckoo-song
• कोकिलालापा: Upapada (Apposition/उपपद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोकिल + आलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः कोकिलस्य आलापः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• यथा: as/like
• यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक

• मधुरभाषिणी: sweet-speaking
• मधुरभाषिणी: Upapada (Apposition/उपपद)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुर + भाषिणी (भाष् धातोः णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः मधुरा भाषिणी (कर्मधारय)

• गद्य: of prose
• गद्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; (समासपूर्वपद)

• पद्य: of verse
• पद्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; (समासपूर्वपद)

• निधिः: treasure
• निधिः: Upapada (Apposition/उपपद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• यद्वत्: just as
• यद्वत्: Sambandha (Adverbial relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक (correlative ‘just as’)

• अनुक्तज्ञा: understanding the unspoken
• अनुक्तज्ञा: Upapada (Apposition/उपपद)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुक्त + ज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः अनुक्तं जानाति/अनुक्तस्य ज्ञा (उपपद-तत्पुरुष; अर्थः ‘unspoken-understanding’)

• यथा: as/like
• यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• सा: she
• सा: Upapada (Apposition/उपपद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Śrī Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A companion idealized as cuckoo-voiced, sweet-speaking, a treasury of prose and poetry, and intuitively understanding; visualized with manuscripts, veena, and springtime birdsong near the Ganga.

Characters & Entities

• Kokila (cuckoo)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is supported by refined speech, discernment, and empathy—understanding even the unspoken is praised as a high virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting; this verse itself is character-praise, not tirtha-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.