Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

अरुणाः सशिखास्तुंगाः करजाः सुदृशांशुभाः । निम्ना विवर्णाः शुक्त्याभाः पीता दारिद्र्यदायकाः

Transliteration

aruṇāḥ saśikhāstuṃgāḥ karajāḥ sudṛśāṃśubhāḥ | nimnā vivarṇāḥ śuktyābhāḥ pītā dāridryadāyakāḥ

Translation

ناخن اگر سرخی مائل، نوک دار/کلغی والے اور قدرے ابھرے ہوئے ہوں تو خوش منظر اور مبارک سمجھے جاتے ہیں؛ لیکن جو ناخن دھنستے ہوں، بے رنگ، صدف جیسے پھیکے چمکدار یا زرد ہوں، انہیں فقر و افلاس دینے والا کہا گیا ہے۔

Word by Word

• अरुणाः: reddish, tawny
• अरुणाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन

• स-शिखाः: having a tip/crest
• स-शिखाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपपद) + शिखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘शिखया सह’ (with a crest/point)

• तुंगाः: high, prominent
• तुंगाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन

• करजाः: nails (lit. born of the hand)
• करजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन

• सु-दृश-अंशुभाः: beautiful and radiant
• सु-दृश-अंशुभाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय) + दृश् (प्रातिपदिक ‘दृश्/दृशा’ as ‘sight/appearance’) + अंशु (प्रातिपदिक) + भा (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित ‘भा’ ‘shine’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (बहुपद): ‘सु-दृशः’ (good-looking) + ‘अंशुभाः’ (shining with rays)

• निम्नाः: depressed, low
• निम्नाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन

• विवर्णाः: discolored, pale
• विवर्णाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन

• शुक्ति-आभाः: shell-like in luster
• शुक्ति-आभाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + आभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘शुक्तेः आभा’ (having the luster of a shell/pearl-oyster)

• पीताः: yellow
• पीताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीत (कृदन्त; √पा ‘to drink’ → पीत ‘yellow/imbibed’; here color-adj)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle used adjectivally)

• दारिद्र्य-दायकाः: causing poverty
• दारिद्र्य-दायकाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारिद्र्य (प्रातिपदिक) + दायक (कृदन्त; √दा ‘to give’ + ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘दारिद्र्यं ददाति’ (giver of poverty)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśīkṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher points to hands showing nails: auspicious reddish raised nails contrasted with pale/yellow sunken nails; backdrop hints of Kāśī ghāṭas and lamps at dusk.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prosperity and hardship are portrayed as karmically signaled; dharmic conduct is implied as the true safeguard beyond omens.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s overarching setting is Kāśī; this particular verse does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse classifies auspicious/inauspicious physical traits.