Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

प्रतिबिंबं भवेद्यस्य पदखंडपदाकृति । पांसौ वा कर्दमे वापि पंचमासान्स जीवति

Transliteration

pratibiṃbaṃ bhavedyasya padakhaṃḍapadākṛti | pāṃsau vā kardame vāpi paṃcamāsānsa jīvati

Translation

പൊടിയിലോ ചെളിയിലോ ആരുടെ പ്രതിബിംബം കാലുകൾ ഒടിഞ്ഞതുപോലെയോ വികൃതമായോ തോന്നുന്നുവോ—അവൻ അഞ്ചു മാസം മാത്രമേ ജീവിക്കൂ।

Word by Word

• प्रतिबिम्बम्: reflection
• प्रतिबिम्बम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिबिम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• भवेत्: would be/should become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्

• पदखण्डपदाकृतिः: having the form of a broken foot/foot-fragment
• पदखण्डपदाकृतिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद + खण्ड + पद + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (प्रतिबिम्बस्य); समासः: (पदखण्डस्य) पद-आकृतिः = ‘foot-fragment-like shape’

• पांसौ: in dust
• पांसौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पांसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• कर्दमे: in mud
• कर्दमे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• पञ्चमासान्: for five months
• पञ्चमासान्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचनम् (संख्यावाचक-समासः); कालपरिमाणार्थे

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• जीवति: lives
• जीवति: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (ghāṭa environs)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A person looks down at a puddle or muddy patch on a Kāśī lane near a ghāṭa; the reflection shows feet appearing broken/deformed; onlookers react with hushed dread; temple flags flutter above.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Distortions in one’s reflection are framed as wake-up calls—prompting repentance, charity, and remembrance of the Divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kāśī-mahātmya environment of the Skanda Purāṇa, though no single tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes an omen observed via reflection.