Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

रूक्षं विवर्णं परुषं खंडितप्रतिबिंबकम् । शूर्पाकारं विशुष्कं च दुःखदौर्भाग्यसूचकम्

Transliteration

rūkṣaṃ vivarṇaṃ paruṣaṃ khaṃḍitapratibiṃbakam | śūrpākāraṃ viśuṣkaṃ ca duḥkhadaurbhāgyasūcakam

Translation

But a sole that is rough, discolored, harsh, with broken or fragmented markings, shaped like a winnowing basket, and overly dry—this is said to indicate sorrow and misfortune.

Word by Word

• रूक्षम्: dry/rough
• रूक्षम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• वि-वर्णम्: discolored
• वि-वर्णम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपसर्ग-युक्त विशेषण (विवर्ण = discolored)

• परुषम्: harsh/coarse
• परुषम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• खण्डित-प्रतिबिम्बकम्: having broken/fragmented reflections (markings)
• खण्डित-प्रतिबिम्बकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खण्डित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिबिम्बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (खण्डितं प्रतिबिम्बकं यस्य/यत्) विशेषण

• शूर्प-आकारम्: shovel/winnowing-fan shaped
• शूर्प-आकारम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूर्प (प्रातिपदिक) + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शूर्पस्य आकारः) विशेषण

• वि-शुष्कम्: very dry
• वि-शुष्कम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुष्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपसर्ग-युक्त विशेषण (viśuṣka = very dry)

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

• दुःख-दौर्भाग्य-सूचकम्: indicating sorrow and misfortune
• दुःख-दौर्भाग्य-सूचकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + दौर्भाग्य (प्रातिपदिक) + सूचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दुःखदौर्भाग्यं सूचयति इति) विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Contrasting illustration: a dry, rough, discolored sole with broken markings; the teacher gestures to it as a ‘doṣa-lakṣaṇa’, while a compassionate tone is maintained.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text contrasts harmony with imbalance—coarseness and dryness symbolize hardship, urging discernment and caution in traditional interpretation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is a diagnostic/interpretive verse within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.