Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

कुमारत्वेपि सामान्ये कथं त्वहमनुत्तमः । कथं त्वं मंदभाग्यासि सुकुक्षिः सुरुचिः कथम्

Transliteration

kumāratvepi sāmānye kathaṃ tvahamanuttamaḥ | kathaṃ tvaṃ maṃdabhāgyāsi sukukṣiḥ suruciḥ katham

Translation

ഞങ്ങൾ ഇരുവരും രാജകുമാരന്മാരായതിൽ സമാനരായിരിക്കെ, ഞാൻ എന്തുകൊണ്ട് ‘ഉത്തമൻ’ അല്ല? നീ എങ്ങനെ കുറവ് ഭാഗ്യവതി, സുരുചി എങ്ങനെ ശുഭഗർഭിണി?

Word by Word

• कुमारत्वे: in (the condition of) being a prince/son
• कुमारत्वे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; neuter, locative, singular

• अपि: even
• अपि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• सामान्ये: when (it is) common/equal
• सामान्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सामान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; neuter, locative, singular; qualifying (अधिकरण)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय

• त्वा: you
• त्वा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; pronoun, accusative, singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative, singular

• अनुत्तमः: not excellent/inferior
• अनुत्तमः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; masculine, nominative, singular; predicate adjective

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; pronoun, nominative, singular

• मन्दभाग्या: of poor fortune
• मन्दभाग्या: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्दभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; feminine, nominative, singular; compound: मन्द (poor) + भाग्य (fortune)

• असि: are
• असि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; 2nd person singular

• सुकुक्षिः: (she) of good womb
• सुकुक्षिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुकुक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; feminine, nominative, singular; compound: सु (good) + कुक्षि (womb)

• सुरुचिः: Suruci
• सुरुचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; feminine, nominative, singular (proper name)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय

Speaker

Dhruva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dhruva emphasizes the word ‘Uttama’ with a sharp gesture, then points to himself, questioning destiny; Sunīti’s hands clasp in helplessness; a faint background hint of Suruci’s quarters suggests division in the palace.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Sunīti
• Suruci
• Uttama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Comparisons breed suffering; dharma redirects ambition from jealousy to disciplined effort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is glorified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.