Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अतिविस्तृत पादं च दीर्घवक्रकृशांगुलिम् । अस्थिचर्मावशेषेण शिराताडितविग्रहम्

Transliteration

ativistṛta pādaṃ ca dīrghavakrakṛśāṃgulim | asthicarmāvaśeṣeṇa śirātāḍitavigraham

Translation

His feet were excessively wide, with toes that were long, crooked, and thin. Being only bone and skin, his whole frame looked battered and striped by bulging veins.

Word by Word

• अति-विस्तृतम्: very expanded, extremely broad
• अति-विस्तृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय/उपसर्गभाव) + विस्तृत (कृदन्त; √स्तृ (धातु) + वि- उपसर्ग, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावसमासः (अतिशयेन विस्तृतम्)

• पादम्: foot
• पादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• दीर्घ-वक्र-कृश-अङ्गुलिम्: having long, crooked, thin fingers/toes
• दीर्घ-वक्र-कृश-अङ्गुलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कृश (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गुलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (दीर्घाश्च वक्राश्च कृशाश्च अङ्गुलयः यस्य)

• अस्थि-चर्म-अवशेषेण: with (only) the remnants of bone and skin
• अस्थि-चर्म-अवशेषेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक) + चर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अवशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः

• शिरा-ताडित-विग्रहम्: whose body is struck/beaten by veins (i.e., vein-ridged)
• शिरा-ताडित-विग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिरा (प्रातिपदिक) + ताडित (कृदन्त; √ताड् (धातु), क्त) + विग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (शिराभिः ताडितः विग्रहः)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual narration to Agastya in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-sabhā (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close focus on the preta’s feet: overly broad soles, long crooked thin toes; the rest of the body is sinewy with vein-stripes, emphasizing deprivation and karmic distortion.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It strengthens the narrative’s moral force: suffering follows degraded conduct, while sacred merit offers relief.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the sanctified setting; no particular tīrtha is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.