Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

विशीर्यत्केशदशनं नीयमानं च दक्षिणे । आत्मानं यत्समद्राक्षीः कुटुंबस्यापि भीषणम्

Transliteration

viśīryatkeśadaśanaṃ nīyamānaṃ ca dakṣiṇe | ātmānaṃ yatsamadrākṣīḥ kuṭuṃbasyāpi bhīṣaṇam

Translation

Du sahst dich selbst, wie Haare und Zähne ausfallen und du nach Süden geschleift wirst; das ist erschreckend, selbst für dein Haus, denn es kündet auch der Familie Unheil an.

Word by Word

• विशीर्यत्: crumbling, falling apart
• विशीर्यत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-शीॄ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रायः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; present active participle, neuter, nominative/accusative singular

• केश: hair
• केश: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग); masculine, nominative/accusative singular (compound member)

• दशनम्: tooth/teeth
• दशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; neuter, nominative/accusative singular

• नीयमानम्: being led
• नीयमानम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (कर्मणि शानच्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; present passive participle, neuter, nominative/accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• दक्षिणे: to the south / on the right side
• दक्षिणे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; neuter, locative singular

• आत्मानम्: yourself / the self
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; masculine, accusative singular

• यत्: which/that (which)
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; relative pronoun, neuter, nominative/accusative singular

• सम्: together, completely (prefix)
• सम्: Upasarga (Preverb/उपसर्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: उपसर्ग (preverb)

• अद्राक्षीः: you saw
• अद्राक्षीः: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अोरिस्ट), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; aorist, 2nd person singular, active

• कुटुंबस्य: of the family
• कुटुंबस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुटुंब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; neuter, genitive singular

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• भीषणम्: terrible, dreadful
• भीषणम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; neuter, nominative/accusative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A frightened dream-vision: the protagonist’s hair and teeth crumble away while unseen forces drag him southward; family members recoil in dread; the city’s sacred skyline of Kāśī looms faintly behind the nightmare haze.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣiṇa (south, direction associated with Yama in omen-literature)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Personal decline seen in dreams is treated as a warning to purify conduct and protect dependents through dharmic choices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred frame, but this verse does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit practice is stated in this verse; it highlights the severity of the omen for one’s household.