Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

ऊर्ध्वरेखांकितपदो निःश्वसन्पद्मगंधवान् । अच्छिद्रपाणिः सुनखो महालक्षणवानयम्

Transliteration

ūrdhvarekhāṃkitapado niḥśvasanpadmagaṃdhavān | acchidrapāṇiḥ sunakho mahālakṣaṇavānayam

Translation

His feet are marked with upward lines; even his breath bears the fragrance of the lotus. His hands are unblemished, his nails are fine, and he is endowed with great auspicious marks.

Word by Word

• ऊर्ध्वरेखाङ्कितपदः: whose feet are marked with upward lines
• ऊर्ध्वरेखाङ्कितपदः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रेखा (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्कित (कृदन्त; अङ्क्/अङ्कय् धातु) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (ऊर्ध्व-रेखा-अङ्कितं पदं यस्य)

• निःश्वसन्: breathing out
• निःश्वसन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-श्वस् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपद; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पद्मगन्धवान्: having lotus-fragrance
• पद्मगन्धवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पद्मस्य गन्धः यस्य)

• अच्छिद्रपाणिः: with unblemished hands (without holes/defects)
• अच्छिद्रपाणिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + छिद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नञ्-तत्पुरुषः: छिद्ररहितः पाणिः यस्य)

• सुनखः: having good/beautiful nails
• सुनखः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + नख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सुन्दराः नखाः यस्य)

• महालक्षणवान्: possessing great marks (auspicious signs)
• महालक्षणवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (महानि लक्षणानि यस्य)

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Nārada (deduced from immediate context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close focus on the child’s feet with upward line-marks, a subtle lotus aura around the mouth/breath, immaculate hands and fine nails; sages note each sign like a sacred inventory.

Characters & Entities

• Padma (lotus)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner purity and accumulated merit are portrayed as manifesting outwardly through auspicious signs and fragrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is the overarching sacred setting of Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though no single tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse catalogs auspicious bodily signs (lakṣaṇas).