Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

वक्षः कुक्ष्यलकं स्कंध करं वक्त्रं षडुन्नतम् । तथाऽत्र दृश्यते बाले महदैश्वर्यभाग्यथा

Transliteration

vakṣaḥ kukṣyalakaṃ skaṃdha karaṃ vaktraṃ ṣaḍunnatam | tathā'tra dṛśyate bāle mahadaiśvaryabhāgyathā

Translation

Sa poitrine, son ventre, ses boucles de cheveux, ses épaules, ses mains et son visage sont six signes élevés; ainsi voit-on en cet enfant des marques dignes d’une part de grande souveraineté et de prospérité.

Word by Word

• वक्षः: chest
• वक्षः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (neuter nominative singular)

• कुक्षि: belly
• कुक्षि: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (masc nominative singular)

• अलकम्: curl/lock of hair
• अलकम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (masc nom/acc singular)

• स्कन्ध: shoulder
• स्कन्ध: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (masc nom/acc singular)

• करम्: hand
• करम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (masc nom/acc singular)

• वक्त्रम्: face/mouth
• वक्त्रम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (neuter nom/acc singular)

• षट्: six
• षट्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्/षट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनार्थे (numeral “six”, used as first member)

• उन्नतम्: raised, prominent
• उन्नतम्: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + नम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (past passive participle; neuter nom/acc sg)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: likewise)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place: here)

• दृश्यते: is seen, appears
• दृश्यते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, कर्मणि प्रयोगः; प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम् (present indicative, passive; 3rd sg)

• बाले: in the child
• बाले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (masc locative singular)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (neuter nom/acc singular)

• ऐश्वर्यभाग्यथा: as (befits) a share of great lordship/prosperity
• ऐश्वर्यभाग्यथा: Sambandha (Comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऐश्वर्य + भाग + यथा (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; यथा-प्रत्ययार्थे अव्ययम् (indeclinable compound: “as (in) the share of sovereignty/prosperity”)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) narrating to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage enumerates six ‘raised’ features—chest, abdomen, curls, shoulders, hands, face—indicating great sovereignty; the child is shown radiant, upright posture, with parents and attendants suggesting future royalty.

Characters & Entities

• aiśvarya (sovereignty/prosperity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prosperity and authority are presented as karmically signaled, meant to culminate in righteous protection and generosity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to the Kāśī-centered Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though the verse itself is about auspicious marks rather than a site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an interpretive description of bodily features as auspicious indicators.