Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

दृश्यरोमात्वपत्यघ्नी कुलघ्न्युद्गतयौवना । पितृघ्न्याविष्कतरजास्ततस्ताः परिवर्जयेत्

Transliteration

dṛśyaromātvapatyaghnī kulaghnyudgatayauvanā | pitṛghnyāviṣkatarajāstatastāḥ parivarjayet

Translation

Therefore, for marriage one should avoid those maidens who show body-hair, who are called ‘destroyers of offspring’ and ‘ruiners of the family’, whose youth has already arisen, who are said to ‘harm the father’, and whose menses has manifested.

Word by Word

• दृश्यरोमा: one whose body-hair is visible
• दृश्यरोमा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रोमा/रोमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास (‘दृश्यं रोम यस्याः सा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (स्त्री-विशेष)

• त्वपतिघ्नी: husband-slaying (one who destroys her husband)
• त्वपतिघ्नी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वपति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘पति/वर’ अर्थे) + घ्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (‘त्वपतिं हन्ति’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• कुलघ्नी: destroyer of the family
• कुलघ्नी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (‘कुलं हन्ति’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• उद्गतयौवना: one whose youth has arisen (pubescent)
• उद्गतयौवना: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास (‘उद्गतं यौवनं यस्याः सा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पितृघ्नी: father-slaying
• पितृघ्नी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (‘पितरं हन्ति’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• आविष्कतरजाः: one whose menses have manifested
• आविष्कतरजाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आविष्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास (‘आविष्कृतं रजः यस्याः सा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ततः: therefore/then
• ततः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतु/अनन्तरार्थ adverb): ‘अतः/तस्मात्’

• ताः: those (women)
• ताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म

• परिवर्जयेत्: should avoid
• परिवर्जयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher enumerates prohibitions; symbolic imagery shows a boundary line between eligible and ineligible stages—flowers in bud vs. fully opened—conveying ‘avoid after certain signs’ without explicitness.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It presents a normative dharma guideline about marital selection, emphasizing socially-defined eligibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī setting frames the instruction, but no particular tirtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescriptive rule is given: certain conditions are listed as grounds to avoid a match for marriage/kanyādāna.