Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

माधवी मधुरालापा सदोंकारं समर्चयेत् । प्राप्याप्यनर्घ्यतारुण्यं सा तु पुष्पबटोः सुता

Transliteration

mādhavī madhurālāpā sadoṃkāraṃ samarcayet | prāpyāpyanarghyatāruṇyaṃ sā tu puṣpabaṭoḥ sutā

Translation

Mādhavī, à la parole suave, rendait sans cesse un culte à l’Oṃkāra. Bien qu’elle eût obtenu une jeunesse inestimable, elle —fille de Puṣpabaṭa— demeura vouée à cette adoration.

Word by Word

• mādhavī: Mādhavī (name)
• mādhavī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mādhavī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनम् (fem. nominative singular)

• madhura-ālāpā: sweet-voiced; with sweet singing
• madhura-ālāpā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhura + ālāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनम् (fem. nominative singular) — mādhavī इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• sad-oṃkāram: the true/auspicious Oṃkāra
• sad-oṃkāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + oṃkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनम् (masc. accusative singular)

• samarcayet: should worship
• samarcayet: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√arc (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनम् (3rd person singular)

• prāpya: having attained
• prāpya: Pūrvakāla (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra-√āp (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (gerund/absolutive)

• api: also; even
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय/अपि-शब्दः (particle: also/even)

• anarghya-tāruṇyam: priceless youthfulness
• anarghya-tāruṇyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anarghya + tāruṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनम् (neut. accusative singular)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनम् (fem. nominative singular)

• tu: but; indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (particle: but/indeed)

• puṣpabaṭoḥ: of Puṣpabaṭa
• puṣpabaṭoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpabaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनम् (masc. genitive singular)

• sutā: daughter
• sutā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sutā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनम् (fem. nominative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Oṃkāra-upāsanā locus)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mādhavī, radiant with youth, offers flowers and bilva to an Oṃkāra-marked liṅga, her lips poised in gentle chant; her sweetness of speech is mirrored by serene facial expression.

Characters & Entities

• Mādhavī
• Oṃkāra
• Puṣpabaṭa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even extraordinary worldly gains (like youth) are secondary to unwavering devotion to Oṃkāra/Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the sacred frame; Oṃkāra-liṅga worship is the highlighted focal practice within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous worship (sadā samarcayet) of Oṃkāra—regular reverence of the Oṃkāra-liṅga.