Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

अष्टांगाभरणानां च संख्या कर्तुं न शक्यते । वाससां च विचित्राणां कोमलानां तथा मुने

Transliteration

aṣṭāṃgābharaṇānāṃ ca saṃkhyā kartuṃ na śakyate | vāsasāṃ ca vicitrāṇāṃ komalānāṃ tathā mune

Translation

ਹੇ ਮੁਨੀ, ਅੰਗ-ਅੰਗ ਨੂੰ ਸੁਸ਼ੋਭਿਤ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਅਸ਼ਟਾਂਗ ਆਭੂਸ਼ਣਾਂ ਦੀ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਕਰਨੀ ਅਸੰਭਵ ਹੈ; ਅਤੇ ਉਹ ਨਰਮ, ਵਿਭਿੰਨ ਰੰਗਾਂ ਵਾਲੇ ਸੁੰਦਰ ਵਸਤ੍ਰ ਵੀ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਤੋਂ ਪਰੇ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• अष्टाङ्गाभरणानाम्: of the ornaments for the eight limbs
• अष्टाङ्गाभरणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टाङ्ग-आभरण (प्रातिपदिक; अष्ट + अङ्ग + आभरण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अष्टाङ्गेषु आभरणानि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• संख्या: the number
• संख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• कर्तुम्: to make (to count)
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), अव्ययभाव; अर्थः—‘करितुम्’ (to do/make)

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

• शक्यते: is possible
• शक्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• वाससाम्: of garments
• वाससाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विचित्राणाम्: variegated, diverse
• विचित्राणाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वाससाम्)

• कोमलानाम्: soft, delicate
• कोमलानाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वाससाम्)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (thus/likewise)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine retinue described through uncountable limb-ornaments and delicate, variegated garments—an overwhelming vision of celestial finery preceding the approach to Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred grandeur is portrayed as immeasurable, implying that worldly measures fail before a divinely charged tirtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), the preeminent Śaiva sacred city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse functions as mahātmya-style praise through description.