Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

स्त्रीणां पादतलं स्निग्धं मांसलं मृदुलं समम् । अस्वेदमुष्णमरुणं बहुभोगोचितं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

strīṇāṃ pādatalaṃ snigdhaṃ māṃsalaṃ mṛdulaṃ samam | asvedamuṣṇamaruṇaṃ bahubhogocitaṃ smṛtam

Translation

സ്ത്രീയുടെ പാദതലം സ്നിഗ്ധവും മാംസലവും മൃദുവും സമവുമാകുകയും; അത്യധിക വിയർപ്പില്ലാതെ, ഉഷ്ണവും അരുണവർണ്ണവും ആയിരിക്കുകയുമെങ്കിൽ—അത് ഭോഗസമൃദ്ധിക്ക് യോഗ്യമായ ശുഭലക്ഷണമെന്നു പറയുന്നു।

Word by Word

• स्त्रीणाम्: of women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पाद-तलम्: sole of the foot
• पाद-तलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पादस्य तलम्)

• स्निग्धम्: smooth/oily
• स्निग्धम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्निग्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying pādatalaṃ)

• मांसलम्: fleshy
• मांसलम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मांसल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• मृदुलम्: soft
• मृदुलम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• समम्: even/level
• समम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अ-स्वेदम्: not sweaty
• अ-स्वेदम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-समास (अस्वेद = without sweat) विशेषण

• उष्णम्: warm
• उष्णम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अरुणम्: reddish
• अरुणम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• बहु-भोग-उचितम्: fit for much enjoyment
• बहु-भोग-उचितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + भोग (प्रातिपदिक) + उचित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (बहुभोगाय उचितम्) विशेषण

• स्मृतम्: is regarded (as)
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘is considered/said’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up symbolic depiction of a woman’s auspicious foot-sole: glossy, soft, warm, slightly reddish; presented as a śāstra illustration with decorative borders and Kāśī motifs.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspiciousness is described through harmony and balance—softness, evenness, and warmth symbolize well-being and favorable destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it remains part of Kāśī-khaṇḍa instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides criteria (lakṣaṇa) rather than a rite.