Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

असौभाग्यवतीभिश्च सौभाग्यं महदाप्यते । विधवाभिर्न वैधव्यं पुनर्जन्मांतरे क्वचित्

Transliteration

asaubhāgyavatībhiśca saubhāgyaṃ mahadāpyate | vidhavābhirna vaidhavyaṃ punarjanmāṃtare kvacit

Translation

అసౌభాగ్యంతో బాధపడే స్త్రీలకూ మహా సౌభాగ్యం లభిస్తుంది. విధవలకు తదుపరి జన్మల్లో ఎక్కడా మళ్లీ వైధవ్యం కలగదు.

Word by Word

• असौभाग्यवतीभिः: by unfortunate women
• असौभाग्यवतीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a + saubhāgya + vatī (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘असौभाग्यं यस्याः सा’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सौभाग्यम्: good fortune
• सौभाग्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saubhāgya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सौभाग्यम्’ इति विशेषण

• आप्यते: is obtained
• आप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (आप् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• विधवाभिः: by widows
• विधवाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhavā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• वैधव्यम्: widowhood
• वैधव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaidhavya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्ति-वाचक-अव्यय (adverb: again)

• जन्म-अन्तरे: in another birth
• जन्म-अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman + antara (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; ‘अन्यस्मिन् जन्मनि’

• क्वचित्: ever; at any time
• क्वचित्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चित-देश/काल-वाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: ever/anywhere)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśālākṣī-sthāna (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sorrowful widow and an ill-fated woman approach Viśālākṣī; the goddess bestows a protective blessing, turning grief into auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Viśālākṣī (implied)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The māhātmya frames the goddess as a remover of misfortune and a protector whose grace extends beyond one lifetime.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Viśālākṣī tradition, where worship is said to transform adversity into auspiciousness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, devotion/worship at Viśālākṣī; the verse primarily states the promised results (phalaśruti).