Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

दुर्भगा सुभगास्याच्च धनाढ्या स्याद्दरिद्रिणी । विधवापि न वैधव्यं पुनराप्नोति कुत्रचित्

Transliteration

durbhagā subhagāsyācca dhanāḍhyā syāddaridriṇī | vidhavāpi na vaidhavyaṃ punarāpnoti kutracit

Translation

La malchanceuse devient chanceuse, et la pauvre se libère de la pauvreté pour connaître l’abondance. Même la veuve ne retombe nulle part dans la condition de veuvage.

Word by Word

• दुर्भगा: an unfortunate woman
• दुर्भगा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्-भगा (प्रातिपदिक; दुर् + भगा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुभगा: a fortunate woman
• सुभगा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-भगा (प्रातिपदिक; सु + भगा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्यात्: would become
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• धनाढ्या: a wealthy woman
• धनाढ्या: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन-आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक; धन + आढ्य)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्यात्: would become
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• दरिद्रिणी: a poor woman
• दरिद्रिणी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरिद्रिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• विधवा: a widow
• विधवा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-कारक अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• वैधव्यम्: widowhood
• वैधव्यम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैधव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्ति-बोधक अव्यय (adverb: again)

• आप्नोति: attains, obtains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुत्रचित्: anywhere, ever
• कुत्रचित्: Desha-adhikarana (देशाधिकरण/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्रचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/अनिश्चितता-बोधक अव्यय (indefinite adverb: anywhere/ever)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A before-and-after tableau: devotees arriving burdened by poverty and grief, then leaving with auspicious marks, gifts, and renewed dignity; a widow devotee receiving blessings at a Śiva shrine by the Gaṅgā.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī-centered observance is praised as destiny-transforming—removing misfortune and stabilizing auspicious life-conditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), the dharma-kṣetra where vows are said to yield strong protective merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

This verse gives outcomes (phala) rather than procedures; the procedure is implied as the Manoratha-tṛtīyā vrata of the chapter.