Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

भूत्वा राजकुमारोपि नालंकुर्या ममोदरम् । सुकुक्षिजममुं पश्य त्वमुत्तममनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

bhūtvā rājakumāropi nālaṃkuryā mamodaram | sukukṣijamamuṃ paśya tvamuttamamanuttamam

Translation

「たとえ王子であっても、わが膝を飾るに足りぬ。むしろこのウッタマ（Uttama）を見よ――無上にして無比、わが吉祥の胎より生まれた者を。」

Word by Word

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• राजकुमारः: the prince
• राजकुमारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजकुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः राज्ञः कुमारः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे ‘also/even’

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

• अलंकुर्यात्: should adorn
• अलंकुर्यात्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अलंकृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उदरम्: belly/abdomen
• उदरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सुकुक्षिजम्: well-born (from a good womb)
• सुकुक्षिजम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘अमुं’/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + कुक्षिज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + कुक्षिज ‘good-born-from-the-womb’ (विशेषण-समास)

• अमुम्: this one/him
• अमुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पश्य: see/look
• पश्य: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Sambodhyābhāsa/Karta (Addressed subject/सम्बोधनार्थ-कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (अमुं प्रति)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (अमुं प्रति)

Speaker

Skanda (narrating); direct speech: Suruci

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the royal court, Suruci rejects the prince from her lap, pointing to her own child ‘Uttama’; the slight is public and sharp.

Characters & Entities

• Suruci
• Dhruva
• Uttama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride in birth and favoritism are shown as unstable measures of worth; the Purāṇic arc will elevate steadfast devotion above such claims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not mentioned in this verse; the larger Kāśīkhaṇḍa celebrates Kāśī as the supreme tīrtha-field.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative dialogue.