Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तांबूलीरागरक्तौष्ठीं द्राक्षास्तबकसुस्तनीम् । लवलीवल्लिदोर्वल्ली कंको ली पल्लवांगुलिम्

Transliteration

tāṃbūlīrāgaraktauṣṭhīṃ drākṣāstabakasustanīm | lavalīvallidorvallī kaṃko lī pallavāṃgulim

Translation

Aux lèvres rougies par la teinte du bétel, aux seins pareils à des grappes de raisin; aux bras comme des lianes de lavalī, aux doigts tels de tendres pousses de kaṅkolī—ainsi le quartier est envisagé, finement paré.

Word by Word

• ताम्बूलीरागरक्तौष्ठीम्: whose lips are reddened by betel-juice
• ताम्बूलीरागरक्तौष्ठीम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताम्बूली + राग + रक्त + ओष्ठिन्/ओष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयभावः: ‘ताम्बूलीरागेण रक्ताः ओष्ठाः यस्याः सा’ (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रयोगः)

• द्राक्षास्तबकसुस्तनीम्: having beautiful breasts like clusters of grapes
• द्राक्षास्तबकसुस्तनीम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्राक्षा + स्तबक + सु + स्तनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष: ‘द्राक्षास्तबकवत् सुस्तनी’ = द्राक्षागुच्छ-सदृश-उन्नत-स्तनयुक्ता

• लवलीवल्लिदोर्वल्ली: with arms like creepers of lavalī
• लवलीवल्लिदोर्वल्ली: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लवली + वल्ली + दोर्(दोर्=द्वि/भुज) + वल्ली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (पाठदोष/विच्छेदानुसार); समासः—तत्पुरुष: ‘लवलीवल्लीवत् दोर्वल्ली’ = लवलीलतासदृश-भुज-लता-युक्ता

• कङ्कोली: kankolī (a fragrant spice/plant)
• कङ्कोली: सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य (Appositional/descriptor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कङ्कोली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सुगन्धिद्रव्यविशेषः (a fragrant plant/substance)

• पल्लवाङ्गुलिम्: having fingers like tender shoots
• पल्लवाङ्गुलिम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पल्लव + अङ्गुलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय: ‘पल्लव इव अङ्गुलयः यस्याः सा’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa default dialogue-frame, verse-context narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quarter is envisioned as a richly adorned woman: betel-reddened lips, grape-cluster breasts, creeper-like arms, and tender shoot-like fingers—an allegory of dawn’s delicate flourishing.

Characters & Entities

• Betel (tāmbūla)
• Drākṣā (grapes)
• Lavalī creeper
• Kaṅkolī plant

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time is depicted as intrinsically auspicious and beautiful, encouraging a refined, worshipful mindset.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting frames the hymn-like praise; this verse itself is descriptive rather than locational.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the sensuous imagery parallels pūjā adornments and the cultivation of sattvic aesthetic devotion.