Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

स्त्रीणां शौचं ददौ सोमः पावकः सर्वमेध्यताम् । कल्याणवाणीं गंधर्वास्तेन मेध्याः सदा स्त्रियः

Transliteration

strīṇāṃ śaucaṃ dadau somaḥ pāvakaḥ sarvamedhyatām | kalyāṇavāṇīṃ gaṃdharvāstena medhyāḥ sadā striyaḥ

Translation

โสมะประทานความบริสุทธิ์แก่สตรี; ปาวกะ (อัคนี) ประทานความเป็นมงคลและความบริสุทธิ์แห่งพิธีกรรมโดยสิ้นเชิง; และคันธรรพะประทานวาจาอันเป็นสิริมงคล ดังนั้นสตรีจึงนับว่าเป็นผู้บริสุทธิ์อยู่เสมอ

Word by Word

• स्त्रीणाम्: of women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• शौचम्: purity/cleanliness
• शौचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सोमः: Soma
• सोमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• पावकः: Fire (Pāvaka)
• पावकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता (द्वितीयकर्तृ-समुच्चय)

• सर्वमेध्यताम्: complete purity/fitness for sacrifice
• सर्वमेध्यताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मेध्यता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भाव: ‘सर्वा मेध्यता’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• कल्याणवाणीम्: auspicious speech
• कल्याणवाणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्याण (प्रातिपदिक) + वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (‘कल्याणा वाणी’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• गन्धर्वाः: the Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्ता

• तेन: thereby/therefore
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (‘तेन’ = by that/therefore)

• मेध्याः: pure, fit (for rites)
• मेध्याः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘स्त्रियः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक-adverb): ‘नित्यं’

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्ता/विषय (topic)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic bestowal: Soma pours cool lunar nectar of purity, Agni radiates consecrating fire of medhya-śakti, Gandharvas offer a garland of auspicious speech; the woman stands as a figure of maṅgala, not defilement.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Agni (Pāvaka)
• Gandharvas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and auspiciousness are presented as divinely endowed qualities, supporting a dharmic view of inherent ritual fitness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the broader sacred setting (Kāśīkhaṇḍa), though no individual tirtha is singled out in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is commanded; it offers a theological basis for medhyatā (ritual fitness).