Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

ग्रीवाजंघा मेहनैश्च त्रिभिर्ह्रस्वोयमीडितः । स्वरेण सत्त्वनाभिभ्यां त्रिगंभीरः शिशुः शुभः

Transliteration

grīvājaṃghā mehanaiśca tribhirhrasvoyamīḍitaḥ | svareṇa sattvanābhibhyāṃ trigaṃbhīraḥ śiśuḥ śubhaḥ

Translation

கழுத்து, கால் மடிப்பு (ஜங்கா), இனாங்கம்—இம்மூன்றில் அவன் ‘குறுகிய’ எனப் போற்றப்படுகிறான்; குரல், சத்துவம், நாபி—இம்மூன்றால் இச்சுபக் குழந்தை ‘மூன்று ஆழம்’ உடையவன்.

Word by Word

• ग्रीवा: neck
• ग्रीवा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रीवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (feminine nominative singular)

• जङ्घा: shin/leg
• जङ्घा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जङ्घा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (feminine nominative singular)

• मेहनैः: by/with the genitals
• मेहनैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम् (neuter instrumental plural)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• त्रिभिः: by/with three (items)
• त्रिभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम्; तृतीया बहुवचनम् (numeral; instrumental plural)

• ह्रस्वः: short
• ह्रस्वः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ह्रस्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (masc nominative singular)

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (pronoun; masc nominative singular)

• ईडितः: praised, extolled
• ईडितः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईड् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (past passive participle; masc nom sg)

• स्वरेण: by/with the voice
• स्वरेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम् (masc instrumental singular)

• सत्त्वनाभिभ्याम्: by/with the navel (marked) with vitality/strength
• सत्त्वनाभिभ्याम्: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व + नाभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सत्त्वस्य नाभि); नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया द्विवचनम् (neuter instrumental dual)

• त्रिगंभीरः: threefold-deep/very deep
• त्रिगंभीरः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + गंभीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः गम्भीराः/गाम्भीर्याणि यस्य); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (masc nominative singular)

• शिशुः: child
• शिशुः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (masc nominative singular)

• शुभः: auspicious
• शुभः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (masc nominative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) narrating to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage notes three short features (neck, shanks, generative organ) and three deep qualities (voice, vitality, navel) in an auspicious infant; parents listen with reverence near a ghat-side setting.

Characters & Entities

• śiśu (child)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic dharma links inner strength (voice, vitality) with auspicious destiny, implying that power should mature into righteous conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī remains the macro-context of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, but this verse focuses on personal auspicious signs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive—classifying bodily features as auspicious according to lakṣaṇa tradition.