Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

शुभदः सरलोंगुष्ठो वृत्तो वृत्तनखो मृदुः

Transliteration

śubhadaḥ saraloṃguṣṭho vṛtto vṛttanakho mṛduḥ

Translation

An auspicious thumb is straight, rounded, has a rounded nail, and is soft.

Word by Word

• शुभदः: auspicious-giving
• शुभदः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘अङ्गुष्ठः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; शुभं ददाति इति

• सरलः: straight
• सरलः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सरल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘अङ्गुष्ठः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अङ्गुष्ठः: the thumb
• अङ्गुष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• वृत्तः: round
• वृत्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘अङ्गुष्ठः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• वृत्त-नखः: having a round nail
• वृत्त-नखः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक) + नख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—वृत्तः नखः यस्य (अङ्गुष्ठः)

• मृदुः: soft
• मृदुः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘अङ्गुष्ठः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close depiction of a straight, rounded, soft thumb with a rounded nail, presented as an auspicious sign; a calm teacher gestures approvingly.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Skanda
• Agastya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspiciousness is associated with harmony and balance even in bodily features, reflecting inner merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the Kāśī setting is contextual rather than explicit in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.