Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

कदाचिद्विनतादर्शि सुपर्णनाश्रुलोचना । विच्छाया मलिना दीना दीर्घनिःश्वासवत्यपि

Transliteration

kadācidvinatādarśi suparṇanāśrulocanā | vicchāyā malinā dīnā dīrghaniḥśvāsavatyapi

Translation

ایک بار سُپَرْن نے وِنَتا کو دیکھا—آنکھیں آنسوؤں سے بھری ہوئی—نور سے خالی، میلی کچیلی، دل گرفتہ، اور لمبی بھاری آہیں بھرتی ہوئی۔

Word by Word

• kadācit: once; at some time
• kadācit: Kālādhi karaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• vinatām: Vinatā
• vinatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vinatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• adarśi: saw
• adarśi: Kriyā (Verb/action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• suparṇaḥ: Suparṇa (Garuḍa)
• suparṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suparṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• aśru-locanā: with tearful eyes
• aśru-locanā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of Vinatā)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aśru (प्रातिपदिक) + locanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (बहुव्रीहिवत् अर्थः: अश्रुभिः लोचनानि यस्याः)

• vicchāyā: lusterless; without radiance
• vicchāyā: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-cchāyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• malinā: soiled; dull
• malinā: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: malina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dīnā: wretched; poor
• dīnā: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dīrgha-niḥśvāsa-vatī: having long sighs
• dīrgha-niḥśvāsa-vatī: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīrgha (प्रातिपदिक) + niḥśvāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + vatī (प्रत्ययान्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दीर्घाः निःश्वासाः यस्याः)

• api: also; even
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

Speaker

Narrative voice within Kāśī Khaṇḍa (deductively: Skanda in discourse to Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Suparṇa/Garuḍa beholds his mother Vinatā: tear-filled eyes, dulled complexion, soiled garments, dejection, long sighs—an intimate moment of recognition and compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Suparṇa (Garuḍa)
• Vinatā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights compassion and the dharmic duty to respond when a parent is in distress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider textual setting is the Kāśī Khaṇḍa (Vārāṇasī’s sacred narrative world), though the verse itself is character-focused.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive narrative verse.