Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

अनलंकृतमात्मानं तव नो दर्शयेत्क्वचित् । कार्यार्थं प्रोषिते क्वापि सर्वमंडनवर्जिता

Transliteration

analaṃkṛtamātmānaṃ tava no darśayetkvacit | kāryārthaṃ proṣite kvāpi sarvamaṃḍanavarjitā

Translation

ਉਹ ਕਦੇ ਵੀ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ ਤੇਰੇ ਸਾਹਮਣੇ ਬਿਨਾ ਸਿੰਗਾਰ ਦੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਦਿਖਾਂਦੀ। ਪਰ ਜਦੋਂ ਤੂੰ ਕਾਰਜ ਵਾਸਤੇ ਕਿਤੇ ਦੂਰ ਹੋਵੇਂ, ਉਹ ਸਭ ਅਲੰਕਾਰਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਰਹਿਤ ਹੀ ਰਹਿੰਦੀ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• अनलङ्कृतम्: unadorned
• अनलङ्कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-लङ्कृत (कृदन्त; लङ्कृ (धातु) + नञ्)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक (negative), भूतकृदन्त (Past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आत्मानम्: herself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तव: of you / your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (Negation particle)

• दर्शयेत्: should show
• दर्शयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्वचित्: ever/anywhere
• क्वचित्: Desha-kala-adhikarana (Adverbial/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक अव्यय (Indefinite adverb: place/time)

• कार्यार्थम्: for a task’s purpose
• कार्यार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-समर्थः: कार्यस्य अर्थः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); क्रियाविशेषणवत् (for the sake of work)

• प्रोषिते: when (you are) away
• प्रोषिते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-उषित (कृदन्त; वस्/उष् (धातु) )
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle: ‘gone/away’), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); पुंलिङ्गे सन्दर्भानुसार (when you are away)

• क्वापि: somewhere
• क्वापि: Desha-adhikarana (Adverbial/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चितदेशवाचक अव्यय (Indefinite adverb: somewhere)

• सर्वमण्डनवर्जिता: devoid of all adornment
• सर्वमण्डनवर्जिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + मण्डन + वर्जित (कृदन्त; वर्ज् (धातु))
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (मण्डनात् वर्जिता; ‘devoid of adornment’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Agastya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasted moments: (1) wife carefully adorned before meeting the sage; (2) when he is away on duty, she remains unadorned, absorbed in household order and vow-like simplicity.

Characters & Entities

• Lopāmudrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes propriety and intention—adornment is for one’s spouse, while in separation one practices restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named; the ethical portrait supports the broader Kāśī Māhātmya narrative tone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns personal discipline (niyama) and decorum.