Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 130

Devanagari script

वंध्यानां चापि वंध्यात्वं सा परिव्राजिकाहरत् । तैस्तैश्च कार्मणोपायैरसौ भाग्यवतीः स्त्रियः

Transliteration

vaṃdhyānāṃ cāpi vaṃdhyātvaṃ sā parivrājikāharat | taistaiśca kārmaṇopāyairasau bhāgyavatīḥ striyaḥ

Translation

اُس سیّاح سنیاسن نے بانجھ عورتوں کی بانجھ پن بھی دور کر دی؛ طرح طرح کے کارمنک (غیبی) تدبیروں سے وہ عورتوں کو گویا نصیب والی بنا دیتی تھی۔

Word by Word

• वन्ध्यानाम्: of barren women
• वन्ध्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-अर्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• वन्ध्यात्वम्: barrenness
• वन्ध्यात्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन्ध्या + त्व (प्रातिपदिक; भाववाचक-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम (abstract noun)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परिव्राजिका: the nun/ascetic woman
• परिव्राजिका: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि + व्रज् (धातु) → परिव्राजिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अहरत्: took away/removed
• अहरत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तैः: by those
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तैः: by various (those and those)
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति-बल (emphatic repetition)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कार्मणोपायैः: by magical means
• कार्मणोपायैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्मण + उपाय (प्रातिपदिके; कार्मण-उपाय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (kārmaṇasya upāyāḥ)

• असौ: she (that woman)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (deictic: this/that)

• भाग्यवतीः: fortunate
• भाग्यवतीः: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाग्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśī-khaṇḍa often Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (typical frame; not stated in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A saffron-clad wandering nun (parivrājikā) in a Kāśī lane or ghat-side courtyard, blessing anxious women; ritual objects (water-pot, rosary, herbs/yantra) suggest ‘kārmaṇa-upāya’; background shows ghats, lamps, and temple spires.

Characters & Entities

• Parivrājikā
• Striyaḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly boons can be pursued through questionable means; the narrative context typically contrasts such powers with higher dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kāśī-khaṇḍa, but this verse is part of a story episode rather than explicit tirtha-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No orthodox rite is prescribed; it mentions kārmaṇa-upāyas (occult techniques).