Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

रुदती या त्वया दृष्टा महिलैका निशात्यये । मुक्तकेशी विवसना सा नारी श्रीरिवोद्गता

Transliteration

rudatī yā tvayā dṛṣṭā mahilaikā niśātyaye | muktakeśī vivasanā sā nārī śrīrivodgatā

Translation

ପ୍ରଭାତବେଳେ ତୁମେ ଯେ ଏକା ନାରୀକୁ କାନ୍ଦୁଥିବା ଦେଖିଲ—ମୁକ୍ତକେଶୀ, ବିବସନା—ସେ ନାରୀ ଯେନେ ଶ୍ରୀ (ଲକ୍ଷ୍ମୀ) ଦେବୀ ନିଜେ ଉଠି ଚାଲିଯାଉଛନ୍ତି, ଏମିତି ଅଶୁଭ ସୂଚନା।

Word by Word

• रुदती: weeping
• रुदती: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुद् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; present active participle, feminine nominative singular

• या: who
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; relative pronoun, feminine nominative singular

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन; pronoun, instrumental singular

• दृष्टा: seen
• दृष्टा: Kriyā (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; past passive participle, feminine nominative singular

• महिला: woman
• महिला: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग); feminine, nominative singular (compound member)

• एका: one (single)
• एका: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; feminine, nominative singular; समासः: महिला-एका (कर्मधारय: 'one woman')

• निशा: night
• निशा: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग); feminine, compound member

• अत्यये: at night’s end (at dawn)
• अत्यये: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अत्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; masculine, locative singular; समासः: निशा-अत्यय (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: 'at the end of night')

• मुक्त: loosened, released
• मुक्त: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग); past passive participle, feminine nom sg (compound member)

• केशी: having loose hair
• केशी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; feminine nominative singular; समासः: मुक्त-केशी (कर्मधारय: 'with loosened hair')

• विवसना: naked, unclothed
• विवसना: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; feminine nominative singular

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun, feminine nominative singular

• नारी: woman
• नारी: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; feminine nominative singular

• श्रीः: Lakṣmī, fortune
• श्रीः: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; feminine nominative singular

• इव: like, as if
• इव: Upamā (Comparison marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• उद्गता: arisen, emerged
• उद्गता: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; past passive participle, feminine nominative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn’s edge, a solitary woman weeps, hair loose, unclothed—an allegory of Śrī departing; the street is empty, lamps dying, and the air feels stripped of auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī (Lakṣmī/fortune)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prosperity is sustained by dharma; when omens show ‘Śrī’ departing, leaders must correct injustice and restore sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger textual setting is Kāśī-khaṇḍa, but this verse specifically presents a symbolic omen rather than a tīrtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated here; it interprets the vision as a sign of fortune departing.