Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

विशीर्यत्केशदशनं नीयमानं च दक्षिणे । आत्मानं यत्समद्राक्षीः कुटुंबस्यापि भीषणम्

Transliteration

viśīryatkeśadaśanaṃ nīyamānaṃ ca dakṣiṇe | ātmānaṃ yatsamadrākṣīḥ kuṭuṃbasyāpi bhīṣaṇam

Translation

You saw yourself with hair and teeth falling away, being dragged toward the south—this is dreadful, even for your household, foretelling fear for the family as well.

Word by Word

• विशीर्यत्: crumbling, falling apart
• विशीर्यत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-शीॄ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रायः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; present active participle, neuter, nominative/accusative singular

• केश: hair
• केश: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग); masculine, nominative/accusative singular (compound member)

• दशनम्: tooth/teeth
• दशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; neuter, nominative/accusative singular

• नीयमानम्: being led
• नीयमानम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (कर्मणि शानच्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; present passive participle, neuter, nominative/accusative singular

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

• दक्षिणे: to the south / on the right side
• दक्षिणे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; neuter, locative singular

• आत्मानम्: yourself / the self
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; masculine, accusative singular

• यत्: which/that (which)
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; relative pronoun, neuter, nominative/accusative singular

• सम्: together, completely (prefix)
• सम्: Upasarga (Preverb/उपसर्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: उपसर्ग (preverb)

• अद्राक्षीः: you saw
• अद्राक्षीः: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अोरिस्ट), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; aorist, 2nd person singular, active

• कुटुंबस्य: of the family
• कुटुंबस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुटुंब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; neuter, genitive singular

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• भीषणम्: terrible, dreadful
• भीषणम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; neuter, nominative/accusative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A frightened dream-vision: the protagonist’s hair and teeth crumble away while unseen forces drag him southward; family members recoil in dread; the city’s sacred skyline of Kāśī looms faintly behind the nightmare haze.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣiṇa (south, direction associated with Yama in omen-literature)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Personal decline seen in dreams is treated as a warning to purify conduct and protect dependents through dharmic choices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred frame, but this verse does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit practice is stated in this verse; it highlights the severity of the omen for one’s household.