Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

समपार्ष्णिः शुभा नारी पृथुपार्ष्णिश्च दुर्भगा । कुलटोन्नतपार्ष्णि स्याद्दीर्घपार्ष्णिश्च दुःखभाक्

Transliteration

samapārṣṇiḥ śubhā nārī pṛthupārṣṇiśca durbhagā | kulaṭonnatapārṣṇi syāddīrghapārṣṇiśca duḥkhabhāk

Translation

കുതികാൽ സമമായ സ്ത്രീ ശുഭ; കുതികാൽ വീതിയുള്ളവൾ ദുര്ഭാഗ്യവതി. കുതികാൽ ഉയർന്നവൾ കുലടയെന്ന്; കുതികാൽ നീളമുള്ളവൾ ദുഃഖഭാഗിനിയെന്ന് പറഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• समपार्ष्णिः: having even heels
• समपार्ष्णिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम + पार्ष्णि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारय (समा पार्ष्णिः यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Karmadhāraya adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• नारी: woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• पृथुपार्ष्णिः: having broad heels
• पृथुपार्ष्णिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथु + पार्ष्णि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारय (पृथु पार्ष्णिः यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Karmadhāraya adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• दुर्भगा: unfortunate
• दुर्भगा: Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + भग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• कुलटोन्नतपार्ष्णि: having a raised heel like a wanton woman
• कुलटोन्नतपार्ष्णि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुलटा + उन्नत + पार्ष्णि (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-समासार्थ (कुलटायाः/कुलटासदृशी उन्नता पार्ष्णिः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Compound adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; (Optative, 3rd sg)

• दीर्घपार्ष्णिः: having long heels
• दीर्घपार्ष्णिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ + पार्ष्णि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारय (दीर्घा पार्ष्णिः यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Karmadhāraya adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• दुःखभाक्: a partaker of sorrow, suffering
• दुःखभाक्: Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख + भाज् (कृदन्त; √भज्, शतृ/क्विप्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (दुःखं भजते/भाक्); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Tatpuruṣa adjectival; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A comparative tableau of heels: even heel as auspicious; broad heel as unfortunate; raised heel as signaling wantonness; long heel as sorrow-bearing—presented as a moralizing typology.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse reflects a traditional linkage between bodily signs and character/fortune, urging a dharmic ideal of steadiness and auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting (Kāśī-khaṇḍa), though no specific tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.