Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

निर्लोमहृदयं यस्याः समं निम्नत्व वर्जितम् । ऐश्वर्यं चाप्यवैधव्यं प्रियप्रेम च सा लभेत्

Transliteration

nirlomahṛdayaṃ yasyāḥ samaṃ nimnatva varjitam | aiśvaryaṃ cāpyavaidhavyaṃ priyaprema ca sā labhet

Translation

യാരുടെ വക്ഷസ്ഥലം രോമരഹിതമായി, സമമായി, കുഴിവില്ലാതെ ഇരിക്കുമോ—അവൾ ഐശ്വര്യം, അവൈധവ്യം, പ്രിയന്റെ സ്നേഹപൂർണ്ണമായ പ്രേമവും നേടുന്നു।

Word by Word

• निर्लोमहृदयम्: a heart/chest without hair
• निर्लोमहृदयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + लोम (प्रातिपदिक) + हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (निर्लोमं हृदयम्) (neut. nom./acc. sg.)

• यस्याः: of whom/whose
• यस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of whom)

• समम्: even, level
• समम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (neut. nom./acc. sg.)

• निम्नत्व: depression, hollowness
• निम्नत्व: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निम्नत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'depression/concavity'

• वर्जितम्: devoid (of)
• वर्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) (neut. nom./acc. sg.), 'devoid of'

• ऐश्वर्यम्: prosperity, lordship
• ऐश्वर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐश्वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (neut. acc. sg.)

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• अवैधव्यम्: non-widowhood
• अवैधव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ- (निषेध) + वैधव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (neut. acc. sg.), 'non-widowhood'

• प्रियप्रेम: dear love/affection
• प्रियप्रेम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रेम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (प्रियं प्रेम) (neut. acc. sg.)

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

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृपद (she)

• लभेत्: may obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; 'may obtain'

Speaker

Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An auspicious portrait-like scene: a composed woman with smooth, even chest (symbolic modest depiction), gentle gaze, and a harmonious couple motif suggesting affectionate love and prosperity.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It associates balance and auspiciousness with stability in worldly dharma—prosperity and harmonious marital life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-khaṇḍa context underlies the teaching, but no single tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse states a traditional फल (result) connected with lakṣaṇa.