Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

अरुणाः सशिखास्तुंगाः करजाः सुदृशांशुभाः । निम्ना विवर्णाः शुक्त्याभाः पीता दारिद्र्यदायकाः

Transliteration

aruṇāḥ saśikhāstuṃgāḥ karajāḥ sudṛśāṃśubhāḥ | nimnā vivarṇāḥ śuktyābhāḥ pītā dāridryadāyakāḥ

Translation

Nails that are reddish, crested at the tip and slightly raised are deemed auspicious and pleasing to behold; but nails that are sunken, discolored, shell-pale in luster, or yellow are said to bring poverty.

Word by Word

• अरुणाः: reddish, tawny
• अरुणाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन

• स-शिखाः: having a tip/crest
• स-शिखाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपपद) + शिखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘शिखया सह’ (with a crest/point)

• तुंगाः: high, prominent
• तुंगाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन

• करजाः: nails (lit. born of the hand)
• करजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन

• सु-दृश-अंशुभाः: beautiful and radiant
• सु-दृश-अंशुभाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय) + दृश् (प्रातिपदिक ‘दृश्/दृशा’ as ‘sight/appearance’) + अंशु (प्रातिपदिक) + भा (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित ‘भा’ ‘shine’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (बहुपद): ‘सु-दृशः’ (good-looking) + ‘अंशुभाः’ (shining with rays)

• निम्नाः: depressed, low
• निम्नाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन

• विवर्णाः: discolored, pale
• विवर्णाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन

• शुक्ति-आभाः: shell-like in luster
• शुक्ति-आभाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + आभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘शुक्तेः आभा’ (having the luster of a shell/pearl-oyster)

• पीताः: yellow
• पीताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीत (कृदन्त; √पा ‘to drink’ → पीत ‘yellow/imbibed’; here color-adj)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle used adjectivally)

• दारिद्र्य-दायकाः: causing poverty
• दारिद्र्य-दायकाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारिद्र्य (प्रातिपदिक) + दायक (कृदन्त; √दा ‘to give’ + ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘दारिद्र्यं ददाति’ (giver of poverty)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśīkṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher points to hands showing nails: auspicious reddish raised nails contrasted with pale/yellow sunken nails; backdrop hints of Kāśī ghāṭas and lamps at dusk.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prosperity and hardship are portrayed as karmically signaled; dharmic conduct is implied as the true safeguard beyond omens.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s overarching setting is Kāśī; this particular verse does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse classifies auspicious/inauspicious physical traits.