Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

पत्या विहीनाश्च यथैव योषा यथा विपक्षा इव मार्गणौघाः । आयूंषि हीनानि यथैव पुण्यैर्वृत्तेन हीनानि यथा श्रुतानि

Transliteration

patyā vihīnāśca yathaiva yoṣā yathā vipakṣā iva mārgaṇaughāḥ | āyūṃṣi hīnāni yathaiva puṇyairvṛttena hīnāni yathā śrutāni

Translation

ดุจสตรีผู้ไร้สามี ดุจห่าลูกศรที่ไร้ขนปีก ดุจอายุขัยที่ร่อยลงเพราะขาดบุญ และดุจความรู้ที่ปราศจากความประพฤติชอบ—ฉันนั้นพวกเขาก็หมดกำลัง

Word by Word

• patyā: by/without a husband
• patyā: Karana (Cause/Instrumental of deprivation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (पति प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• vihīnāḥ: deprived
• vihīnāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + hā (हा धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

• eva: just
• eva: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• yoṣā: a woman
• yoṣā: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoṣā (योषा प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

• vipakṣāḥ: without wings
• vipakṣāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vipakṣa (विपक्ष प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (मार्गणौघाः विशेषण)

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय

• mārgaṇa-oghāḥ: streams of arrows
• mārgaṇa-oghāḥ: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārgaṇa (मार्गण) + ogha (ओघ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मार्गणानाम् ओघाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• āyūṃṣi: lifespans
• āyūṃṣi: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyus (आयुस् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (यहाँ प्रथमा)

• hīnāni: deficient
• hīnāni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hīna (हीन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (आयूंषि विशेषण)

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

• eva: just
• eva: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय

• puṇyaiḥ: by merits
• puṇyaiḥ: Karana (Cause/Instrumental of deprivation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (पुण्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• vṛttena: by conduct
• vṛttena: Karana (Cause/Instrumental of deprivation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtta (वृत्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन (आचार/वृत्त)

• hīnāni: deficient
• hīnāni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hīna (हीन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (श्रुतानि विशेषण)

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

• śrutāni: things heard/learning (scriptures)
• śrutāni: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruta (श्रुत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse, typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A chain of symbolic images: a solitary woman with bangles loosened (husband absent) conveying vulnerability; arrows without feathers dropping short; a fading life-lamp representing shortened lifespan without merit; a scholar holding scriptures while his shadow shows misconduct—illustrating learning without right conduct.

Characters & Entities

• Daityas (implied)
• Śruta (scriptural learning; concept)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit (puṇya) and right conduct (vṛtta) give true potency; learning and power without dharma become like arrows without feathers—unable to reach the goal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse, though it sits within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse indirectly emphasizes cultivating puṇya and vṛtta (ethical living) as dharmic practice.