Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

श्रीः परिव्राजिका जाता नितरां सुभगाकृतिः । यामालोक्य जगत्सर्वं चित्रन्यस्तमिवास्थितम्

Transliteration

śrīḥ parivrājikā jātā nitarāṃ subhagākṛtiḥ | yāmālokya jagatsarvaṃ citranyastamivāsthitam

Translation

Śrī (Lakṣmī) devint une renonçante errante, d’une beauté éminemment propice ; à sa vue, l’univers entier demeura immobile, comme posé sur une peinture.

Word by Word

• श्रीः: Śrī; auspicious goddess/fortune
• श्रीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• परिव्राजिका: a female renunciant (wandering nun)
• परिव्राजिका: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parivrājikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय (predicate nominative)

• जाता: became; was born/produced
• जाता: Kriyā (Predicate action/state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (धातु) + jāta (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used predicatively); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नितराम्: exceedingly, very much
• नितराम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitarām (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• सुभगाकृतिः: one of beautiful form
• सुभगाकृतिः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: subhagā + ākṛti (प्रातिपदिक); subhagā-ākṛti (समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेष्य-विशेषणभावः (descriptive compound)

• याम्: whom
• याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धः—पूर्वोक्तायाः (refers to Śrī/parivrājikā)

• आलोक्य: having seen
• आलोक्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√lok (धातु) + ālokya (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having seen’

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वम्: all, entire
• सर्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); जगत्-विशेषण (qualifies jagat)

• चित्रन्यस्तम्: as if placed/arranged like a picture
• चित्रन्यस्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citra + nyasta (प्रातिपदिक); citra-nyasta (समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); जगत्-विशेषण

• इव: as if, like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• आस्थितम्: stood; remained; was fixed
• आस्थितम्: Kriyā (Predicate action/state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√sthā (धातु) + āsthita (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle used predicatively); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; जगत्-सम्बन्धि

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant renunciant woman (Śrī) in simple ascetic attire stands in Kāśī; onlookers—citizens, sages, even animals—freeze in astonishment as if painted, the ghāṭs and temples forming a luminous backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī (Lakṣmī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and renunciation can be borne even by divine prosperity (Śrī), revealing that true auspiciousness supports dharma, not mere luxury.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly the Kāśī sacred setting where such divine manifestations and teachings are narrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse emphasizes darśana (the transformative power of beholding the divine).