Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

कर्मणा येन केशाः स्युः स्निग्धाः कुसुमवर्षिणः । नाकारि कर्णवेधोस्य जनित्रा समये शुभे

Transliteration

karmaṇā yena keśāḥ syuḥ snigdhāḥ kusumavarṣiṇaḥ | nākāri karṇavedhosya janitrā samaye śubhe

Translation

(É o rito) pelo qual os cabelos se tornam lustrosos e ‘derramadores de flores’ (isto é, auspiciosos e belos); contudo, seus pais não realizaram, no tempo propício, a perfuração das orelhas (karṇavedha).

Word by Word

• कर्मणा: by a rite/act
• कर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• केशाः: hairs
• केशाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• स्युः: would be / should become
• स्युः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्निग्धाः: smooth, oily, glossy
• स्निग्धाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्निग्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (केशाः)

• कुसुमवर्षिणः: flower-shedding / like raining flowers
• कुसुमवर्षिणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुसुम + वर्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘कुसुमं वर्षति’) विशेषणम् (केशाः)

• न: not
• न: Kriya-nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• अकारि: was done/performed
• अकारि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद-रूपसदृशं कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगे ‘was done’ इत्यर्थे

• कर्णवेधः: ear-piercing (rite)
• कर्णवेधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण + वेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘कर्णस्य वेधः’)

• अस्य: of him/this (child)
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• जनित्रा: by the father
• जनित्रा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘जनित्रा’ = ‘पित्रा’ (by the begetter/father)

• समये: at the time
• समये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• शुभे: auspicious
• शुभे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (समये)

Speaker

Citragupta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Parents hold a child near a ritual seat; a golden needle and flowers are prepared, but the act is delayed. The child’s hair shines; petals seem to ‘rain’ metaphorically, contrasting with the unperformed rite.

Characters & Entities

• Citragupta
• Karṇavedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious rites are seen as shaping well-being; disregard for them is counted as neglect of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific location is praised in this verse; the Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame still implicitly centers Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Karṇavedha (ear-piercing) is mentioned as a saṃskāra to be done at an auspicious time by the family.