Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

मुक्ता वैदूर्य माणिक्य पुष्परागेभ्य एव सा । मेने रुद्राक्षनेपध्यमनर्घ्यं गर्भसुंदरी

Transliteration

muktā vaidūrya māṇikya puṣparāgebhya eva sā | mene rudrākṣanepadhyamanarghyaṃ garbhasuṃdarī

Translation

ഗർഭസുന്ദരി മുത്ത്, വൈദൂര്യം, മാണിക്യം, പുഷ്പരാഗം എന്നിവയെക്കാളും രുദ്രാക്ഷമാലയുടെ അലങ്കാരം അത്യന്തം അമൂല്യമെന്ന് കരുതി।

Word by Word

• muktāḥ: pearls
• muktāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muktā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• vaidūrya: cat's-eye gem
• vaidūrya: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaidūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• māṇikya: ruby
• māṇikya: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māṇikya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• puṣparāgebhyaḥ: from topazes
• puṣparāgebhyaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣparāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• mene: considered/thought
• mene: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• rudrākṣa-nepadhyam: Rudrākṣa ornament/adornment
• rudrākṣa-nepadhyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudrākṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + nepadhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘rudrākṣasya nepadhyam’

• anarghyam: priceless
• anarghyam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anarghya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) to ‘nepadhyam’

• garbhasuṃdarī: the beautiful lady (named Garbhasundarī)
• garbhasuṃdarī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garbhasuṃdarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय-समास (descriptive epithet)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garbhasundarī, richly yet simply adorned, holds or wears a rudrākṣa necklace while pearls, vaidūrya, māṇikya and puṣparāga lie nearby as disregarded treasures; her gaze is serene, valuing the Śaiva bead above all gems.

Characters & Entities

• Garbhasundarī
• Rudrākṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional insignia of Śiva—like rudrākṣa—outweighs worldly luxury, because it signifies inner renunciation and Śaiva protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where Śaiva marks and practices are praised as part of Kāśī-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse extols wearing rudrākṣa as a supremely meritorious Śaiva ornament.