Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

गूढौ गुल्फौ शिवायोक्तावशिरालौ सुवर्तुलौ । स्थपुटौ शिथिलौ दृश्यौ स्यातां दौर्भाग्यसूचकौ

Transliteration

gūḍhau gulphau śivāyoktāvaśirālau suvartulau | sthapuṭau śithilau dṛśyau syātāṃ daurbhāgyasūcakau

Translation

جیسا کہ شِوَا نے بتایا ہے، اگر ٹخنے چھپے ہوئے (خوب جڑے ہوئے)، رگوں سے خالی اور خوب گول ہوں تو وہ قابلِ ستائش ہیں؛ لیکن اگر ٹخنے موٹے اور ڈھیلے دکھائی دیں تو انہیں بدقسمتی کی علامت کہا جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• गूढौ: hidden, deep-set
• गूढौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गूढ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √गुह्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त-विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; (Past participial adjective; Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

• गुल्फौ: the two ankles
• गुल्फौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुल्फ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; (Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

• शिवया: by Śivā (Pārvatī)
• शिवया: Karta (Agent in passive/करण-कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• उक्तौ: said, described
• उक्तौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उक्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √वच्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त-विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; (Past participial adjective; Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

• अशिरालौ: not veiny
• अशिरालौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-शिराल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; (Negative adjective; Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

• सुवर्तुलौ: well-rounded
• सुवर्तुलौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + वर्तुल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारय (सु- वर्तुलौ); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; (Karmadhāraya; Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

• स्थपुटौ: bulging, protruding
• स्थपुटौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थपुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; (Adjective; Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

• शिथिलौ: loose, slack
• शिथिलौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिथिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; (Adjective; Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

• दृश्यौ: visible, seen
• दृश्यौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √दृश्)
• Form: भाव्य/कर्तव्यतार्थक-विशेषण (दृश्य = seen/visible); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; (Adjectival derivative; Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

• स्याताम्: would be (the two)
• स्याताम्: Kriyā (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), द्विवचन; परस्मैपद; (Optative, 3rd dual)

• दौर्भाग्यसूचकौ: indicators of misfortune
• दौर्भाग्यसूचकौ: Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दौर्भाग्य + सूचक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दौर्भाग्यस्य सूचकौ); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; (Genitive tatpuruṣa; Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya; citing Śivā’s teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī (Śivā) as a gentle teacher figure indicating the ankles (gulfāḥ): well-set, rounded, non-veiny as auspicious; thick and loose as inauspicious—set against a Kāśī shrine ambiance.

Characters & Entities

• Śivā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It attributes traditional lakṣaṇa-knowledge to Śiva’s authority and distinguishes auspicious harmony from signs believed to foreshadow hardship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s teaching context (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), without naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is explanatory, not prescriptive.