Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

कदाचिद्विनतादर्शि सुपर्णनाश्रुलोचना । विच्छाया मलिना दीना दीर्घनिःश्वासवत्यपि

Transliteration

kadācidvinatādarśi suparṇanāśrulocanā | vicchāyā malinā dīnā dīrghaniḥśvāsavatyapi

Translation

«Un jour, Suparṇa vit Vinatā, les yeux baignés de larmes, privée d’éclat, souillée, accablée, et poussant de longs soupirs pesants.»

Word by Word

• kadācit: once; at some time
• kadācit: Kālādhi karaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• vinatām: Vinatā
• vinatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vinatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• adarśi: saw
• adarśi: Kriyā (Verb/action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• suparṇaḥ: Suparṇa (Garuḍa)
• suparṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suparṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• aśru-locanā: with tearful eyes
• aśru-locanā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of Vinatā)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aśru (प्रातिपदिक) + locanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (बहुव्रीहिवत् अर्थः: अश्रुभिः लोचनानि यस्याः)

• vicchāyā: lusterless; without radiance
• vicchāyā: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-cchāyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• malinā: soiled; dull
• malinā: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: malina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dīnā: wretched; poor
• dīnā: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dīrgha-niḥśvāsa-vatī: having long sighs
• dīrgha-niḥśvāsa-vatī: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīrgha (प्रातिपदिक) + niḥśvāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + vatī (प्रत्ययान्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दीर्घाः निःश्वासाः यस्याः)

• api: also; even
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

Speaker

Narrative voice within Kāśī Khaṇḍa (deductively: Skanda in discourse to Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Suparṇa/Garuḍa beholds his mother Vinatā: tear-filled eyes, dulled complexion, soiled garments, dejection, long sighs—an intimate moment of recognition and compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Suparṇa (Garuḍa)
• Vinatā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights compassion and the dharmic duty to respond when a parent is in distress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider textual setting is the Kāśī Khaṇḍa (Vārāṇasī’s sacred narrative world), though the verse itself is character-focused.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive narrative verse.