Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

अश्रुनिर्माणकरणे कारणं किं तपस्विनि । सुचरित्रा सुनारीषु नामंगलमिहेष्यते

Transliteration

aśrunirmāṇakaraṇe kāraṇaṃ kiṃ tapasvini | sucaritrā sunārīṣu nāmaṃgalamiheṣyate

Translation

«Quelle est la cause qui fait naître ces larmes, ô toi qui pratiques l’austérité ? Aux femmes de bonne conduite, en ce monde, le malheur ne devrait pas advenir.»

Word by Word

• अश्रु-निर्माण-करणे: in/for the producing of tears
• अश्रु-निर्माण-करणे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्रु + निर्माण + करण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpurusha; ‘in the act/cause of tear-making’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कारणम्: cause; reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• तपस्विनि: O ascetic woman
• तपस्विनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुचरित्रा: a virtuous (woman)
• सुचरित्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-चरित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (Karmadharaya: ‘good-conducted’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सु-नारीषु: among good women
• सु-नारीषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (Karmadharaya: ‘good women’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नामङ्गलम्: inauspiciousness
• नामङ्गलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ना + अमङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpurusha with नञ्/न-: ‘not-auspicious’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-adhikaraṇa (Spatial adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—देशवाचक (indeclinable adverb of place)

• एष्यते: will come; will occur
• एष्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada)

Speaker

Suparṇa (Garuḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-ṛṣis / internal audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garuḍa gently questions the tearful Vinatā, his expression firm yet compassionate; Vinatā’s tears signal hidden bondage and injustice.

Characters & Entities

• Suparṇa (Garuḍa)
• Vinatā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It reflects the puranic expectation that virtue tends toward auspiciousness, while also prompting inquiry into hidden causes of suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is ethical-narrative within Kāśī Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.