Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

दृश्यरोमात्वपत्यघ्नी कुलघ्न्युद्गतयौवना । पितृघ्न्याविष्कतरजास्ततस्ताः परिवर्जयेत्

Transliteration

dṛśyaromātvapatyaghnī kulaghnyudgatayauvanā | pitṛghnyāviṣkatarajāstatastāḥ parivarjayet

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ദേഹരോമം ദൃശ്യമാകുന്ന, ‘അപത്യഘ്നി’, ‘കുലഘ്നി’ എന്നു പറയപ്പെടുന്ന, യൗവനം ഉദിച്ച, ‘പിതൃഘ്നി’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന, രജസ് പ്രകടമായ കന്യകളെ വിവാഹാർത്ഥം ഒഴിവാക്കണം.

Word by Word

• दृश्यरोमा: one whose body-hair is visible
• दृश्यरोमा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रोमा/रोमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास (‘दृश्यं रोम यस्याः सा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (स्त्री-विशेष)

• त्वपतिघ्नी: husband-slaying (one who destroys her husband)
• त्वपतिघ्नी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वपति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘पति/वर’ अर्थे) + घ्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (‘त्वपतिं हन्ति’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• कुलघ्नी: destroyer of the family
• कुलघ्नी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (‘कुलं हन्ति’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• उद्गतयौवना: one whose youth has arisen (pubescent)
• उद्गतयौवना: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास (‘उद्गतं यौवनं यस्याः सा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पितृघ्नी: father-slaying
• पितृघ्नी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (‘पितरं हन्ति’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• आविष्कतरजाः: one whose menses have manifested
• आविष्कतरजाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आविष्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास (‘आविष्कृतं रजः यस्याः सा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ततः: therefore/then
• ततः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतु/अनन्तरार्थ adverb): ‘अतः/तस्मात्’

• ताः: those (women)
• ताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म

• परिवर्जयेत्: should avoid
• परिवर्जयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher enumerates prohibitions; symbolic imagery shows a boundary line between eligible and ineligible stages—flowers in bud vs. fully opened—conveying ‘avoid after certain signs’ without explicitness.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It presents a normative dharma guideline about marital selection, emphasizing socially-defined eligibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī setting frames the instruction, but no particular tirtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescriptive rule is given: certain conditions are listed as grounds to avoid a match for marriage/kanyādāna.