Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

दरिद्रा मध्यनम्रेण शिरालेन सदाध्वगा । रोमाढ्येन भवेद्दासी निर्मांसेन च दुर्भगा

Transliteration

daridrā madhyanamreṇa śirālena sadādhvagā | romāḍhyena bhaveddāsī nirmāṃsena ca durbhagā

Translation

If the foot is depressed in the middle, she is said to be poor; if it is veiny, she is said to be ever-wandering. If it is overly hairy, she is said to become a servant; and if it lacks flesh, she is regarded as unfortunate.

Word by Word

• दरिद्रा: poor
• दरिद्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दरिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• मध्यनम्रेण: by having a sunken middle (of the foot)
• मध्यनम्रेण: Hetu/Karaṇa (Cause/Instrument/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य + नम्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ-विशेषण (मध्येन/मध्ये नम्रः → मध्यनम्रः); नपुंसक/पुं? अत्र तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (नपुंसकलिङ्ग-रूपं); (Tatpuruṣa adjective; Instrumental, Singular)

• शिरालेन: by being veiny
• शिरालेन: Hetu/Karaṇa (Cause/Instrument/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिराल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (रूपं: -ेन); (Adjective; Instrumental, Singular)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अध्वगा: one who is always on the road, a wanderer
• अध्वगा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अध्व + ग (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (अध्वानं गच्छति); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Tatpuruṣa adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• रोमाढ्येन: by being hairy
• रोमाढ्येन: Hetu/Karaṇa (Cause/Instrument/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोम + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रोम्णा आढ्यः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; (Genitive tatpuruṣa; Instrumental, Singular)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; (Optative, 3rd sg)

• दासी: a maidservant
• दासी: Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• निर्मांसेन: by being fleshless, bony
• निर्मांसेन: Hetu/Karaṇa (Cause/Instrument/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्- + मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपसर्गपूर्वक-विशेषण (निर्मांस = मांस-रहित); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; (Adjective; Instrumental, Singular)

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

• दुर्भगा: unfortunate
• दुर्भगा: Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + भग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपसर्गपूर्वक-विशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Contrasting depiction: a foot with a depressed middle, prominent veins, excessive hair, and thinness—shown as aśubha signs leading to hardship; the tone is admonitory, not mocking.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text uses traditional physiognomic symbolism to discuss ‘śubha’ and ‘aśubha’ outcomes, reflecting a dharmic worldview of karmic indications.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), though no individual tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it lists inauspicious lakṣaṇas and associated outcomes.