Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

प्रायो मदन भूपाल हर्म्य रत्नांतरे शुभे । जितप्रवालसुच्छाये तस्या रदनवाससी

Transliteration

prāyo madana bhūpāla harmya ratnāṃtare śubhe | jitapravālasucchāye tasyā radanavāsasī

Translation

Wahai raja, gigi dan bibir gadis itu seakan istana permata yang mulia milik Dewa Kama—bercahaya dari dalam, dan warnanya mengatasi seri karang merah yang terang.

Word by Word

• प्रायः: mostly
• प्रायः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रायः (अव्यय)
• Form: नित्यत्व/बहुलत्ववाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: mostly/usually)

• मदन: O Madana (Love-god)
• मदन: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम् (masc voc sg)

• भूपाल: O king
• भूपाल: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम् (masc voc sg)

• हर्म्य: in a palace
• हर्म्य: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम् (neut loc sg)

• रत्नान्तरे: among jewels
• रत्नान्तरे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम् (neut loc sg); रत्न-अन्तरे = ‘amid/between jewels’

• शुभे: auspicious/beautiful
• शुभे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; अधिकरण-विशेषणम् (qualifying the place)

• जित: surpassing
• जित: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जि (धातु) → जित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; समासाङ्ग

• प्रवाल: coral
• प्रवाल: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्; समासाङ्ग

• सुच्छाये: in splendid hue
• सुच्छाये: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम् (fem loc sg); सु-छाये = ‘in fine lustre/shade’

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, एकवचनम् (fem gen sg)

• रदन: tooth
• रदन: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्; समासाङ्ग

• वाससी: two coverings/garments
• वाससी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, द्विवचनम् (neut nom dual); रदन-वाससी = ‘two garments of the teeth’ (i.e., lips as coverings)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (bhūpāla) within the embedded story-world; plus frame ṛṣis indirectly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Addressed to a king: the maiden’s teeth and lips are likened to a jeweled palace of Love—radiant within; lips surpassing coral in brightness.

Characters & Entities

• Madana (Kāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa’s descriptive beauty (kāvya-style) serves the larger sacred narrative, where worldly splendour is framed within dharma and the sanctity of Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī indirectly; this is part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s kṣetra-centered narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.