Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

वृत्तं पिशितसंलग्नं जानुयुग्मं प्रशस्यते । निर्मांसं स्वैरचारिण्या दरिद्रा याश्च विश्लथम्

Transliteration

vṛttaṃ piśitasaṃlagnaṃ jānuyugmaṃ praśasyate | nirmāṃsaṃ svairacāriṇyā daridrā yāśca viślatham

Translation

വൃത്തവും മാംസലവുമായ മുട്ടുകളുടെ ജോടി പ്രശംസനീയം. എന്നാൽ മാംസമില്ലാത്ത മുട്ടുകൾ സ്വൈരാചാരിണിയുടെ ലക്ഷണം; സളളവും അസ്ഥിരവുമായ മുട്ടുകൾ ദാരിദ്ര്യത്തിന്റെ ചിഹ്നമെന്നു പറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वृत्तम्: rounded, well-shaped
• वृत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (जानुयुग्मस्य)

• पिशितसंलग्नम्: well-fleshed/with flesh attached
• पिशितसंलग्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिशित-संलग्न (प्रातिपदिक; पिशित + संलग्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• जानुयुग्मम्: the pair of knees
• जानुयुग्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानु-युग्म (प्रातिपदिक; जानु + युग्म)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• प्रशस्यते: is praised
• प्रशस्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम् (passive-like sense: ‘is praised/commended’)

• निर्मांसम्: without flesh
• निर्मांसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्-मांस (प्रातिपदिक; निर् + मांस)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• स्वैरचारिण्या: by a wanton/free-roaming woman
• स्वैरचारिण्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वैर-चारिणी (प्रातिपदिक; स्वैर + चारिणी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• दरिद्रा: poor
• दरिद्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दरिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (सा/स्त्री)

• याः: who (women)
• याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• विश्लथम्: loose, slack
• विश्लथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्लथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Didactic tableau contrasting three knee-types: rounded well-fleshed (praśasta), fleshless (linked to ‘svairacāriṇī’), slack/unstable (linked to poverty). Presented as a teacher’s comparative illustration.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse contrasts praised harmony with signs believed to suggest instability, using the lakṣaṇa framework to speak about fortune and conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching sits within Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s sacred discourse, without naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.