Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

समस्तनागकन्यानां रूपशीलकलागुणैः । एकैव रत्नभूतासीद्रत्नदीपोरगात्मजा

Transliteration

samastanāgakanyānāṃ rūpaśīlakalāguṇaiḥ | ekaiva ratnabhūtāsīdratnadīporagātmajā

Translation

Parmi toutes les jeunes filles Nāga, par la beauté, la conduite, les arts et les vertus, une seule brillait telle un joyau : Ratnāvalī, fille du serpent Ratnadīpa.

Word by Word

• samasta: all, entire
• samasta: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक; सम्+अस्/सम्+स्था-निष्पन्न विशेषण)
• Form: विशेषणम्; पुल्लिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रातिपदिकरूपम्; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन अव्ययवत् (indeclinable-like as prior member)

• nāga-kanyānām: of the serpent-maidens
• nāga-kanyānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक) + kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषसमासः (nāgānāṃ kanyāḥ)

• rūpa-śīla-kalā-guṇaiḥ: by (her) beauty, conduct, arts, and virtues
• rūpa-śīla-kalā-guṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + śīla (प्रातिपदिक) + kalā (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचनम्; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वसमासः

• ekā: one (single)
• ekā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• eva: indeed, only
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle of emphasis)

• ratna-bhūtā: become like a jewel; jewel-like
• ratna-bhūtā: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ratna (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (कृदन्त; भू धातु, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘भूत’ = become; तत्पुरुषः (ratnam iva/ratnaṃ bhūtā)

• āsīt: was
• āsīt: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु/अस्)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/लङ्), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• ratna-dīpa-uraga-ātmajā: the daughter of the serpent Ratnadīpa
• ratna-dīpa-uraga-ātmajā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratna (प्रातिपदिक) + dīpa (प्रातिपदिक) + uraga (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmajā (प्रातिपदिक; आत्मज)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः; ātmajā = ‘daughter’; (ratnadīpa-uragasya ātmajā)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (addressed later as ghaṭodbhava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a jeweled nāga-palace, Ratnāvalī—radiant like a gem—stands among nāga-maidens, distinguished by beauty and refined arts; subtle serpent-hood motifs and pearl ornaments suggest her lineage.

Characters & Entities

• Ratnāvalī
• Ratnadīpa
• Nāga-kanyāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True excellence is portrayed as a harmony of beauty, virtue, and cultivated arts—qualities that become meaningful when oriented toward dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage is situated in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s celebration of sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it introduces Ratnāvalī, who will later undertake worship and vows.