Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

प्रलंब स्फिग्युगयुतं शुष्कमुष्काल्पमेहनम् । दीर्घनिर्मांसलोरूकं स्थूलजान्वस्थिपंजरम्

Transliteration

pralaṃba sphigyugayutaṃ śuṣkamuṣkālpamehanam | dīrghanirmāṃsalorūkaṃ sthūlajānvasthipaṃjaram

Translation

สะโพกของเขาห้อยต่ำ อัณฑะเหี่ยวลีบและอวัยวะเล็ก; ต้นขายาวไร้เนื้อ และหัวเข่าหนักราวกรงกระดูกอันน่าสะพรึง

Word by Word

• प्रलम्बस्फिग्युगयुतम्: endowed with long/broad pair of buttocks/hips
• प्रलम्बस्फिग्युगयुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रलम्ब (प्रातिपदिक) + स्फिग् (प्रातिपदिक) + युग (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (कृदन्त; √युज् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (प्रलम्बं स्फिग्युगं येन युतम्/युक्तम्)

• शुष्कमुष्काल्पमेहनम्: with dry testicles and small genitals
• शुष्कमुष्काल्पमेहनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुष्क (प्रातिपदिक) + मुष्क (प्रातिपदिक) + अल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + मेहन्/मेहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (शुष्कौ मुष्कौ, अल्पं मेहनं यस्य)

• दीर्घनिर्मांसलोरूकम्: with long, fleshless thighs
• दीर्घनिर्मांसलोरूकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्मांसल (प्रातिपदिक) + ऊरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (दीर्घं निर्मांसलं ऊरुकं यस्य)

• स्थूलजान्वस्थिपंजरम्: with a thick cage of knee-bones
• स्थूलजान्वस्थिपंजरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थूल (प्रातिपदिक) + जानु (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक) + पंजर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (स्थूलं जान्वस्थिपंजरं यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual narration to Agastya in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gaunt figure with low-hanging buttocks, shriveled genitals, long fleshless thighs, and heavy bony knees—presented as a stark emblem of the body’s inevitable ruin.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It intensifies the theme of karmic suffering, setting up the compassionate inquiry and eventual dharmic resolution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī remains the sacred frame, though no single tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.