Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

अथ रत्नावली बाला कर्णाभ्यर्णविलोचना । दृशौ व्यापारयामास बलिसद्मयुवस्वपि

Transliteration

atha ratnāvalī bālā karṇābhyarṇavilocanā | dṛśau vyāpārayāmāsa balisadmayuvasvapi

Translation

അപ്പോൾ കർണാഭരണങ്ങളോടടുത്തുവരെ വ്യാപിക്കുന്ന ദൃഷ്ടിയുള്ള ബാലിക രത്നാവലി, ബലിയുടെ ഭവനത്തിലെ യുവാക്കളിലേക്കും തന്റെ കണ്ണുകളെ തിരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भार्थक/अनन्तरार्थक

• रत्नावली: Ratnāvalī
• रत्नावली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्नावली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• बाला: the girl
• बाला: Karta (Appositive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषणार्थे (as apposition)

• कर्ण-अभ्यर्ण-विलोचना: she whose eyes extend to her ears
• कर्ण-अभ्यर्ण-विलोचना: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्यर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + विलोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (कर्णयोः अभ्यर्णे विलोचने यस्याः = whose eyes reach up to the ears/very large-eyed)

• दृशौ: (her) two eyes
• दृशौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); द्विवचन

• व्यापारयामास: she directed/turned
• व्यापारयामास: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + आ + √पृ (धातु, पालने/पूरणे) (causative stem: व्यापारय)
• Form: लिट् (Periphrastic Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: set in motion/turned)

• बलि-सद्म-युवसु: among the young men in Bali’s palace
• बलि-सद्म-युवसु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक) + सद्मन्/सद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + युवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (बलिनां सद्मनि/सद्मसु युवसः = young men in the palace of Bali)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (also/even)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda to Agastya, implied Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ratnāvalī’s attentive eyes sweep toward the youths of Bali’s splendid netherworld palace—jewel-lit halls, nāga motifs, subterranean radiance—suggesting wonder and continued searching.

Characters & Entities

• Ratnāvalī
• Bali

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It suggests thoroughness and perseverance—seeking with full attention, leaving no realm unconsidered.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific Kāśī tīrtha is named; Bali is a mythic figure associated with an otherworldly domain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.