Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

प्रीत्यानुलेपनं बाले यक्षकर्दमसंभवम् । सर्वेषामप्यलाभे च प्रशस्तो यक्षकर्दमः

Transliteration

prītyānulepanaṃ bāle yakṣakardamasaṃbhavam | sarveṣāmapyalābhe ca praśasto yakṣakardamaḥ

Translation

ହେ ବାଳେ! ଯକ୍ଷକର୍ଦ୍ଦମ ନିର୍ମିତ ଅନୁଲେପନକୁ ପ୍ରେମପୂର୍ବକ ଲଗାଇବା ଉଚିତ୍ | ଅନ୍ୟ ସମସ୍ତ ସାମଗ୍ରୀର ଅଭାବରେ କେବଳ ଯକ୍ଷକର୍ଦ୍ଦମ ହିଁ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ଅଟେ |

Word by Word

• prītyā: with affection/for pleasure
• prītyā: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prīti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• anulepanaṃ: anointing/application (as unguent)
• anulepanaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anu√lip (धातु) + lyuṭ प्रत्यय → anulepana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कृदन्त-भाववाचक (action-noun)

• bāle: O girl/child
• bāle: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), एकवचन

• yakṣa-kardama-saṃbhavam: arising from yakṣa-kardama
• yakṣa-kardama-saṃbhavam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + kardama (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (yakṣakardamāt saṃbhavam = arising from yakṣa-mud)

• sarveṣām: of all (people)
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

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

• alābhe: in non-availability/when not obtainable
• alābhe: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: alābha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• praśastaḥ: commended/excellent
• praśastaḥ: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praśasta (प्रातिपदिक; √śaṃs PPP)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• yakṣa-kardamaḥ: yakṣa-kardama (a kind of fragrant paste/mud)
• yakṣa-kardamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + kardama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः (yakṣasya kardamaḥ)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A 'bāla' addressed affectionately (disciple/querent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in modest means offers a single bowl of dark, fragrant paste labeled yakṣa-kardama, applying it to the deity with folded hands; other costly aromatics absent, yet the sanctum glows with sincerity.

Characters & Entities

• Yakṣa-kardama (perfumed paste)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is primary; when ideal resources are lacking, a praised substitute preserves the integrity of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is part of Kāśī’s vrata culture as narrated in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use yakṣa-kardama as an anointing paste, especially when other unguents cannot be obtained.