Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

कलंकिकृतमौलिं च धूलिधूसरचर्चितम् । क्वचित्कौपीनवसनं नग्नं वातूलवत्क्वचित्

Transliteration

kalaṃkikṛtamauliṃ ca dhūlidhūsaracarcitam | kvacitkaupīnavasanaṃ nagnaṃ vātūlavatkvacit

Translation

ഞാൻ അവനെ അറിഞ്ഞില്ല—വിചിത്ര ചിഹ്നങ്ങളാൽ മൗലി അടയാളപ്പെട്ടവൻ, ധൂളി പുരട്ടി ധൂസരനായവൻ; ചിലപ്പോൾ കൗപീനധാരി, ചിലപ്പോൾ നഗ്നൻ, ചിലപ്പോൾ വാതൂലനെപ്പോലെ।

Word by Word

• कलंकिकृतमौलिम्: whose head/crest is made stained
• कलंकिकृतमौलिम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कलंकि + कृत + मौलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कलंकिना कृतः मौलिः यस्य)

• च: and
• च: Connector (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• धूलिधूसरचर्चितम्: smeared, grey with dust
• धूलिधूसरचर्चितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धूलि + धूसर + चर्चित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘चर्चित’ = चर्च् (धातु) + क्त (PPP); तत्पुरुषः (धूल्या धूसरेण चर्चितम्)

• क्वचित्: sometimes
• क्वचित्: Adverbial (Time/Place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/देश-अव्यय (adverb: ‘sometimes/at some place’)

• कौपीनवसनम्: wearing only a loincloth
• कौपीनवसनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौपीन + वसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कौपीनं वसनं यस्य)

• नग्नम्: naked
• नग्नम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नग्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वातूलवत्: like a madman
• वातूलवत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वातूल + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; तुल्यवाचक-प्रातिपदिक ‘-वत्’ (like/as), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्वचित्: sometimes
• क्वचित्: Adverbial (Time/Place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/देश-अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Dakṣa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva with ash-grey body, marked head, alternating between kaupīna and digambara; a wind-swept, otherworldly stance suggesting ‘vāta-unmāda’ to the uninitiated.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Renunciation can look shocking to worldly eyes; Śiva’s ascetic form teaches detachment from social display and bodily pride.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse supports the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s Śaiva atmosphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive theology via iconographic traits.