Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 130

Devanagari script

वंध्यानां चापि वंध्यात्वं सा परिव्राजिकाहरत् । तैस्तैश्च कार्मणोपायैरसौ भाग्यवतीः स्त्रियः

Transliteration

vaṃdhyānāṃ cāpi vaṃdhyātvaṃ sā parivrājikāharat | taistaiśca kārmaṇopāyairasau bhāgyavatīḥ striyaḥ

Translation

ആ പരിവ്രാജിക വന്ധ്യസ്ത്രീകളുടെ വന്ധ്യതയും നീക്കി; വിവിധ കാർമണോപായങ്ങളാൽ അവൾ സ്ത്രീകളെ ഭാഗ്യവതികളാക്കി।

Word by Word

• वन्ध्यानाम्: of barren women
• वन्ध्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

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

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-अर्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• वन्ध्यात्वम्: barrenness
• वन्ध्यात्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन्ध्या + त्व (प्रातिपदिक; भाववाचक-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम (abstract noun)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परिव्राजिका: the nun/ascetic woman
• परिव्राजिका: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि + व्रज् (धातु) → परिव्राजिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अहरत्: took away/removed
• अहरत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तैः: by those
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तैः: by various (those and those)
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति-बल (emphatic repetition)

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

• कार्मणोपायैः: by magical means
• कार्मणोपायैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्मण + उपाय (प्रातिपदिके; कार्मण-उपाय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (kārmaṇasya upāyāḥ)

• असौ: she (that woman)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (deictic: this/that)

• भाग्यवतीः: fortunate
• भाग्यवतीः: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाग्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśī-khaṇḍa often Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (typical frame; not stated in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A saffron-clad wandering nun (parivrājikā) in a Kāśī lane or ghat-side courtyard, blessing anxious women; ritual objects (water-pot, rosary, herbs/yantra) suggest ‘kārmaṇa-upāya’; background shows ghats, lamps, and temple spires.

Characters & Entities

• Parivrājikā
• Striyaḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly boons can be pursued through questionable means; the narrative context typically contrasts such powers with higher dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kāśī-khaṇḍa, but this verse is part of a story episode rather than explicit tirtha-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No orthodox rite is prescribed; it mentions kārmaṇa-upāyas (occult techniques).