Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

कुंभाकारं दरिद्राया जठरं च मृदंगवत् । कूष्मांडाभं यवाभं च दुष्पूरं जायते स्त्रियाः

Transliteration

kuṃbhākāraṃ daridrāyā jaṭharaṃ ca mṛdaṃgavat | kūṣmāṃḍābhaṃ yavābhaṃ ca duṣpūraṃ jāyate striyāḥ

Translation

หน้าท้องรูปหม้อกล่าวกันว่าเป็นของสตรีผู้ยากจน ส่วนหน้าท้องที่เหมือนกลอง เหมือนฟัก หรือเหมือนข้าวบาร์เลย์นั้น ยากนักที่จะเติมเต็มให้พอใจได้

Word by Word

• कुंभाकारम्: pot-shaped
• कुंभाकारम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुंभ-आकार (प्रातिपदिक; कुंभ + आकार)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (जठरम्)

• दरिद्राया: of a poor woman
• दरिद्राया: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरिद्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• जठरम्: belly
• जठरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जठर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

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

• मृदंगवत्: like a drum
• मृदंगवत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदङ्ग-वत् (प्रातिपदिक; मृदङ्ग + वत्)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; उपमानवाचक-विशेषणम्

• कूष्माण्डाभम्: pumpkin-like
• कूष्माण्डाभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कूष्माण्ड-आभ (प्रातिपदिक; कूष्माण्ड + आभ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (जठरम्)

• यवाभम्: barley-like (in appearance)
• यवाभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यव-आभ (प्रातिपदिक; यव + आभ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (जठरम्)

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

• दुष्पूरम्: hard to fill/satiate
• दुष्पूरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुस्-पूर (प्रातिपदिक; दुस् + पूर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (जठरम्)

• जायते: arises/comes to be
• जायते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• स्त्रियाः: of a woman
• स्त्रियाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moralizing comparison illustrated with symbolic objects: pot, drum, gourd, barley—arranged as teaching aids while the narrator explains insatiability and poverty.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse links certain forms with lack or dissatisfaction, implicitly praising contentment and disciplined living as supports for dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the compilation’s sacred setting; this verse itself is not a tīrtha-māhātmya passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.