Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

न हर्म्यं सुखदं कांते दर्पणोदरसुंदरम् । मुक्ता गवाक्षसुभगं चंद्रकांतशिलाजिरम्

Transliteration

na harmyaṃ sukhadaṃ kāṃte darpaṇodarasuṃdaram | muktā gavākṣasubhagaṃ caṃdrakāṃtaśilājiram

Translation

കാന്തേ! ദർപ്പണസമമായ അന്തർകക്ഷികളുടെ സൗന്ദര്യത്തോടെ മനോഹരവും, മുക്താസദൃശ ഗവാക്ഷങ്ങളാൽ ശോഭിതവും, ചന്ദ്രകാന്തശിലകളാൽ ജഡിതവുമായ ഈ ഹർമ്യവും യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ സുഖദായകമല്ല।

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• harmyam: mansion; palace
• harmyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: harmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sukha-dam: giving happiness
• sukha-dam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + da (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √dā (धातु) द-प्रत्यय/ददाति-सम्बन्ध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सुखं ददाति)

• kāṃte: O beloved
• kāṃte: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• darpaṇa-udara-suṃdaram: beautiful like the inside of a mirror
• darpaṇa-udara-suṃdaram: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: darpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + udara (प्रातिपदिक) + suṃdara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (दर्पणस्य उदरवत् सुन्दरम्/दर्पणोदर-सदृशं सुन्दरम्)

• muktāḥ: pearls
• muktāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muktā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• gavākṣa-subhagam: charming with windows
• gavākṣa-subhagam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gavākṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + subhaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गवाक्षैः/गवाक्षयुक्तं सुभगम्)

• caṃdra-kāṃta-śilā-ajiram: a courtyard of moonstone slabs
• caṃdra-kāṃta-śilā-ajiram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṃdra (प्रातिपदिक) + kāṃta (प्रातिपदिक) + śilā (प्रातिपदिक) + ajira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (चन्द्रकान्त-शिलाभिः निर्मितम् अजिरम्)

Speaker

Pūrṇabhadra (within Skanda’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Interior of a dazzling palace: mirror-like chambers, pearl-bright lattice windows, moonstone-inlaid floor shimmering like moonlight; the speaker’s sorrow contrasts with the splendor.

Characters & Entities

• Pūrṇabhadra
• Yakṣiṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Material splendor is depicted as insufficient for true contentment when deeper dharmic or emotional fulfilment is missing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tirtha is named; the verse contributes to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s narrative tapestry set in sacred Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.