Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

भवेदखंडभोगायोर्द्ध्वामध्यांगुलिसंगता । रेखाखु सर्पकाकाभा दुःखदारिद्र्यसूचिका

Transliteration

bhavedakhaṃḍabhogāyorddhvāmadhyāṃgulisaṃgatā | rekhākhu sarpakākābhā duḥkhadāridryasūcikā

Translation

足の線が切れ目なく伸びて中趾に合するなら、絶えぬ享楽のしるしと説かれる。だが鼠・蛇・烏の形に似た線は、悲しみと貧窮を告げる徴とされる。

Word by Word

• भवेत्: would be / may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), विधिलिङ्/आज्ञार्थे (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• अखण्डभोगायोः: of the two (fingers) giving unbroken enjoyment
• अखण्डभोगायोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अखण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + भोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (Masculine), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचनम् (Dual)

• ऊर्ध्वा: upper
• ऊर्ध्वा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• मध्य: middle
• मध्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• अङ्गुलि: finger
• अङ्गुलि: Adhikarana/Upapada (Locative sense implied in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• संगता: joined/connected
• संगता: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + गम् (धातु) → संगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (Past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्गः (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• रेखा: line
• रेखा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• खु: indeed/just (particle)
• खु: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: खु (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: निपातः/पादपूरणम् (particle, metrical filler)

• सर्पकाकाभा: having the appearance of a snake and a crow
• सर्पकाकाभा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक) + काक (प्रातिपदिक) + आभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• दुःखदारिद्र्यसूचिका: indicative of sorrow and poverty
• दुःखदारिद्र्यसूचिका: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + दारिद्र्य (प्रातिपदिक) + सूचिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa in Kāśī demonstrates foot-lines (rekhā) on a devotee’s feet, contrasting an unbroken auspicious line reaching the middle toe with ominous lines resembling a rat, serpent, or crow; background shows ghāṭas and a shrine silhouette.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames bodily marks as karmic indicators, urging mindful living and dharmic conduct rather than complacency in fortune or fear of misfortune.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader discourse belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa, centered on the sanctity of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), even though this verse focuses on omens.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed in this verse; it is descriptive (lakṣaṇa) rather than injunctional (vidhi).