Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

निमग्नकक्षाकुहरं शुष्कह्रस्व भुजद्वयम् । विरलांगुलिहस्ताग्रं नतपीन नखावलिम्

Transliteration

nimagnakakṣākuharaṃ śuṣkahrasva bhujadvayam | viralāṃgulihastāgraṃ natapīna nakhāvalim

Translation

His armpit-hollows were deeply sunken; both his arms were dried and short. His fingertips bore sparse, thin fingers, and his nails were bent and thickened.

Word by Word

• निमग्नकक्षाकुहरम्: with sunken armpit-hollows
• निमग्नकक्षाकुहरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निमग्न (कृदन्त; √मज्ज्/√मग्न् भाव) + कक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + कुहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (निमग्नं कक्षाकुहरं यस्य)

• शुष्कह्रस्वभुजद्वयम्: with two dry, short arms
• शुष्कह्रस्वभुजद्वयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुष्क (प्रातिपदिक) + ह्रस्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (शुष्कं ह्रस्वं भुजद्वयं यस्य)

• विरलाङ्गुलिहस्ताग्रम्: with sparse fingers at the hand-tips
• विरलाङ्गुलिहस्ताग्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरल (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गुलि (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (विरलाः अङ्गुलयः यस्य हस्ताग्रे)

• नतपीननखावलिम्: with a row of bent, thick nails
• नतपीननखावलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नत (कृदन्त; √नम् धातु) + पीन (प्रातिपदिक) + नख (प्रातिपदिक) + आवलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (नता पीनाः नखाः यस्याः आवलिः)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual narration to Agastya in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gaunt figure with deeply sunken armpit hollows, short dried arms, sparse thin fingers, and thick bent nails—rendered with clinical detail to evoke detachment rather than mere horror.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It evokes dispassion and moral urgency by portraying the misery tied to adharmic downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is the broader Mahātmya frame for this episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.