Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

श्रीवत्सवज्रचक्राब्ज मत्स्यकोदंडदंडभृत् । तथास्य करगा रेखा यथा स्यात्त्रिदिवस्पतिः

Transliteration

śrīvatsavajracakrābja matsyakodaṃḍadaṃḍabhṛt | tathāsya karagā rekhā yathā syāttridivaspatiḥ

Translation

If the lines upon his hands bear marks like the Śrīvatsa, the vajra, the cakra, the lotus, the fish, the bow, and the staff, then he becomes like the Lord of the three worlds.

Word by Word

• śrīvatsa: Śrīvatsa mark
• śrīvatsa: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrīvatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• vajra: thunderbolt
• vajra: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vajra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• cakra: wheel/discus
• cakra: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• abja: lotus
• abja: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• matsya: fish
• matsya: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: matsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• kodaṃḍa: bow
• kodaṃḍa: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kodaṃḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• daṃḍa: staff/rod
• daṃḍa: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṃḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• bhṛt: bearing (these marks/weapons)
• bhṛt: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √bhṛ (धातु) → bhṛt (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; कृत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृत्-प्रत्यय (तृच्/क्विप्-प्रायः) ‘धारक’ अर्थे; पूर्वपदानि बहूनि—समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समुच्चयार्थक-समासः

• tathā: thus/so
• tathā: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• asya: of him
• asya: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• karagā: hand-line (palm line)
• karagā: Karta/Viśeṣya
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara + gā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (karasya gā/rekhā)

• rekhā: line
• rekhā: Karta/Viśeṣya
• Type: Noun
• Root: rekhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; apposition to karagā

• yathā: as/so that
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/so that)

• syāt: may be/would be
• syāt: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tridivaspatiḥ: lord of the three heavens (Indra)
• tridivaspatiḥ: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri-diva + pati (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (tridivasya patiḥ)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close focus on open palms showing auspicious line-forms resembling Śrīvatsa, vajra, cakra, lotus, fish, bow, and staff; the figure is portrayed as radiant, with a subtle cosmic backdrop suggesting triloka.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Indra (implied by tridivaspati)
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred symbols are treated as dharmic emblems, suggesting that cosmic order supports the truly meritorious ruler.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-khaṇḍa context frames the teaching, but no particular tīrtha is singled out in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it enumerates auspicious symbolic marks and their फल.