Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

यद्युपायोऽस्ति तद्ब्रूहि धिगपुत्रस्य जीवितम् । सर्वशून्यमिवाभाति गृहमेतदनंगजम्

Transliteration

yadyupāyo'sti tadbrūhi dhigaputrasya jīvitam | sarvaśūnyamivābhāti gṛhametadanaṃgajam

Translation

എന്തെങ്കിലും ഉപായമുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ പറയുക. പുത്രഹീനന്റെ ജീവിതം ധിക്കാരാർഹം! ഈ ഗൃഹം ബാലകരഹിതമായി എനിക്ക് പൂർണ്ണ ശൂന്യമായതുപോലെ തോന്നുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तवाचक अव्यय (conditional particle)

• उपायः: a means
• उपायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• धिक्: fie!
• धिक्: Sambandha (Exclamation/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धिक् (अव्यय)
• Form: निन्दावाचक अव्यय (interjection of censure)

• अपुत्रस्य: of a sonless (man)
• अपुत्रस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (नञ्) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थ (a-sonless)

• जीवितम्: life
• जीवितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक; √जीव् धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• सर्व-शून्यम्: completely empty
• सर्व-शून्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparator/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय (comparative particle)

• आभाति: appears
• आभाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√भा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• गृहम्: the house
• गृहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र ‘गृहम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अनङ्ग-जम्: born of/related to Ananga (Kāma)
• अनङ्ग-जम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक; √जन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘अनङ्गात् जातम्/अनङ्गसम्बन्धि’ इत्यर्थे, विशेषणवत्

Speaker

Kanakakuṇḍalā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A person in anguish speaks: ‘Tell me the means; shame on a sonless life.’ The house interior appears vast and empty, with a childless cradle or unused toys implied; the speaker’s posture is collapsed, hands raised in supplication.

Characters & Entities

• Kanakakuṇḍalā
• aputra (childlessness)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse highlights the existential pain of childlessness, setting the stage for a dharmic, faith-based solution rather than despair.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra is the larger frame, though this verse itself is personal lament.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated here; the request is for an upāya (means), which follows in subsequent verses.