Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

गंभीरा दक्षिणावर्ता नाभी स्यात्सुखसंपदे । वामावर्ता समुत्ताना व्यक्तग्रंथिर्न शोभना

Transliteration

gaṃbhīrā dakṣiṇāvartā nābhī syātsukhasaṃpade | vāmāvartā samuttānā vyaktagraṃthirna śobhanā

Translation

గంభీరముగా దక్షిణావర్తంగా ఉన్న నాభి సుఖసంపదలను ప్రసాదించునని చెప్పబడును; కాని వామావర్తమై ఉబ్బినదిగా, స్పష్ట గ్రంథితో ఉన్న నాభి శుభకరం కాదు.

Word by Word

• गंभीरा: deep
• गंभीरा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गंभीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (fem nom sg)

• दक्षिणावर्ता: right-turning
• दक्षिणावर्ता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण + आवर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (fem nom sg; right-turning)

• नाभी: navel
• नाभी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

• स्यात्: may be, should be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (may be/should be)

• सुखसंपदे: for happy prosperity
• सुखसंपदे: Sampradāna (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख + संपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine dative singular; for prosperity/fortune of happiness)

• वामावर्ता: left-turning
• वामावर्ता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाम + आवर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (fem nom sg)

• समुत्ताना: too raised, protruding
• समुत्ताना: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + उत्तान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (fem nom sg; overly protruding/raised)

• व्यक्तग्रंथिः: with clearly visible knots
• व्यक्तग्रंथिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यक्त + ग्रन्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (fem nom sg; having distinct knots)

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

• शोभना: beautiful, auspicious
• शोभना: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (fem nom sg; predicate adjective)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic composition: the teacher gestures to a diagram-like whirl (right-turning vs left-turning) while the Gaṅgā flows behind; the scene emphasizes auspicious rightward motion akin to pradakṣiṇā around a liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text praises balanced, auspicious order (dakṣiṇāvarta) as a symbol of well-being, encouraging alignment with dharma and harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though no distinct tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a statement of signs and their results.