Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

स्वल्पाभिः कररेखाभिरारक्ताभिः सदासुखी । लिंगेन कृशह्रस्वेन राजराजो भविष्यति

Transliteration

svalpābhiḥ kararekhābhirāraktābhiḥ sadāsukhī | liṃgena kṛśahrasvena rājarājo bhaviṣyati

Translation

With few, slightly reddish lines upon the palms, he remains ever joyful; and with a lean and short liṅga, he becomes a king among kings.

Word by Word

• स्वल्पाभिः: with few/small
• स्वल्पाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; कररेखाभिः इति विशेषणम्

• कररेखाभिः: by/with the hand-lines
• कररेखाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक) + रेखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'करस्य रेखा' = lines of the hand

• आरक्ताभिः: reddish
• आरक्ताभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; कररेखाभिः इति विशेषणम्; 'reddish'

• सदा: always
• सदा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (always)

• सुखी: happy
• सुखी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुखिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'one who is happy' (predicative adjective)

• लिङ्गेन: by/with the (male) organ; by the sign
• लिङ्गेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• कृशह्रस्वेन: thin and short
• कृशह्रस्वेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश (प्रातिपदिक) + ह्रस्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वसमासः: 'कृश-ह्रस्व' = thin and short; लिङ्गेन इति विशेषणम्

• राजराजः: king of kings
• राजराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'राज्ञां राजा' = king of kings

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A palm with few faint reddish lines is shown beside royal insignia (umbrella, chowries) in a Kāśī courtyard; the figure is portrayed as disciplined and restrained, hinting at the verse’s claim of becoming ‘rājādhirāja’.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Happiness and rulership are treated as fruits of prior merit, read through traditional lakṣaṇa indicators.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa discourse but does not glorify a specific tīrtha in the verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is classificatory rather than prescriptive.