Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

पंचसूक्ष्मः पंचदीर्घः सप्तरक्तः षडुन्नतः । त्रिपृथुर्लघुगंभीरो द्वात्रिंशल्लक्षणस्त्विति

Transliteration

paṃcasūkṣmaḥ paṃcadīrghaḥ saptaraktaḥ ṣaḍunnataḥ | tripṛthurlaghugaṃbhīro dvātriṃśallakṣaṇastviti

Translation

‘ଏହାର ପାଞ୍ଚଟି ସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମ ଲକ୍ଷଣ, ପାଞ୍ଚଟି ଦୀର୍ଘ ଲକ୍ଷଣ, ସାତଟି ରକ୍ତାଭ ଲକ୍ଷଣ ଓ ଛଟି ଉନ୍ନତ ଲକ୍ଷଣ ଅଛି; ତିନିଟି ପୃଥୁ (ବିସ୍ତୃତ) ଲକ୍ଷଣ ଅଛି; ଏବଂ ସେ ଅଳ୍ପ-ଗମ୍ଭୀର—ଏହିପରି ଦ୍ୱାତ୍ରିଂଶତ୍ ଶୁଭଲକ୍ଷଣଯୁକ୍ତ।’

Word by Word

• paṃca-sūkṣmaḥ: fivefold subtle
• paṃca-sūkṣmaḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paṃca (पञ्च) + sūkṣma (सूक्ष्म)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (पञ्च सूक्ष्माणि यस्य/पञ्चधा सूक्ष्मः) विशेषण

• paṃca-dīrghaḥ: fivefold long
• paṃca-dīrghaḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paṃca (पञ्च) + dīrgha (दीर्घ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास; विशेषण

• sapta-raktaḥ: sevenfold red
• sapta-raktaḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (सप्त) + rakta (रक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास; विशेषण

• ṣaṭ-unnataḥ: sixfold elevated
• ṣaṭ-unnataḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ (षट्) + unnata (उन्नत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास; विशेषण

• tri-pṛthuḥ: threefold broad
• tri-pṛthuḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (त्रि) + pṛthu (पृथु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास; विशेषण

• laghu-gaṃbhīraḥ: light and deep
• laghu-gaṃbhīraḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: laghu (लघु) + gaṃbhīra (गम्भीर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (लघुश्च गम्भीरश्च) विशेषण

• dvātriṃśat-lakṣaṇaḥ: having thirty-two marks
• dvātriṃśat-lakṣaṇaḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvātriṃśat (द्वात्रिंशत्) + lakṣaṇa (लक्षण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास; विशेषण

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधार्थक (but/indeed)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotation/closure)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) narrating to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada enumerates the categories of auspicious bodily features—five fine, five long, seven reddish, six raised, three broad, and subtle depth—concluding the boy bears the thirty-two marks.

Characters & Entities

• lakṣaṇa (auspicious marks)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great responsibility is foreshadowed through auspicious qualities; dharma literature frames leadership as divinely indicated and ethically charged.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting, but this verse is a lakṣaṇa (marks) catalog rather than a tirtha-glorification passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual; it presents a traditional schema of auspicious physical characteristics.