Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

स्फुटच्चोलांशुकपथनिर्यदंगप्रभावृता । उल्लसत्कंदुकास्फालातिशोणितकरांबुजा

Transliteration

sphuṭaccolāṃśukapathaniryadaṃgaprabhāvṛtā | ullasatkaṃdukāsphālātiśoṇitakarāṃbujā

Translation

Par les fentes de son vêtement jaillissait l’éclat de ses membres. Et, sous les frappes vigoureuses de la balle, ses mains pareilles à des lotus resplendissaient d’une profonde lueur cramoisie.

Word by Word

• स्फुटत्: clearly visible, bursting open
• स्फुटत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्फुट् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), प्रथमा, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; adjectival use = “splitting/clearly visible”

• चोल: garment, cloth
• चोल: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चोल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगानुसार), प्रातिपदिक (stem) used in compound

• अंशुक: fine cloth, garment
• अंशुक: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंशुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक used in compound

• पथ: path, way
• पथ: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक used in compound

• निर्यत्: issuing forth, coming out
• निर्यत्: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + या (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ) “going out/issuing forth”, प्रातिपदिक used in compound

• अङ्ग: limb, body
• अङ्ग: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक used in compound

• प्रभा: radiance, glow
• प्रभा: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक used in compound

• आवृता: covered, enveloped
• आवृता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “covered/encircled”

• उल्लसत्: shining, flashing
• उल्लसत्: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + लस् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), प्रातिपदिक used in compound; “shining/sporting”

• कन्दुक: ball
• कन्दुक: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्दुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक used in compound

• आस्फाल: tossing, throwing
• आस्फाल: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ + स्फल्/स्फाल् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (action-noun) used in compound; “tossing/throwing”

• अतिशोणित: very red, blood-red
• अतिशोणित: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति + शोणित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/विशेषण-प्रयोग, प्रातिपदिक used in compound; “very red/blood-red”

• कर: hand
• कर: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक used in compound

• अम्बुजा: lotus (water-born)
• अम्बुजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बु + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अम्बुज = “water-born (lotus)” (षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Jagadambikā in youthful play, striking a ball; garment folds part slightly as her body’s aura shines through; lotus-hands flushed crimson from vigorous motion; a Kāśī courtyard/terrace ambience with sacred city hints.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Jagadambikā/Mṛḍānī)
• Kanduka (ball)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse presents Devī’s līlā as auspicious: even play reveals divine majesty, reminding devotees that the Supreme’s grace shines through ordinary acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting belongs to Kāśī in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; the broader passage contributes to Kāśī’s Mahātmya by portraying the living presence of the Goddess there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is stated in this verse; it is primarily descriptive (stuti through narrative imagery).