Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27
Devanagari script
समपार्ष्णिः शुभा नारी पृथुपार्ष्णिश्च दुर्भगा । कुलटोन्नतपार्ष्णि स्याद्दीर्घपार्ष्णिश्च दुःखभाक्
Transliteration
samapārṣṇiḥ śubhā nārī pṛthupārṣṇiśca durbhagā | kulaṭonnatapārṣṇi syāddīrghapārṣṇiśca duḥkhabhāk
Translation
脚跟匀称的女子为吉祥；脚跟宽大的则多不幸。脚跟上翘者被说为放荡，脚跟过长者则承受忧苦。
Word by Word
समपार्ष्णिःhaving even heels
समपार्ष्णिः:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसम + पार्ष्णि (प्रातिपदिके)
Formकर्मधारय (समा पार्ष्णिः यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Karmadhāraya adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)
शुभाauspicious
शुभा:
Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootशुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formविशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)
नारीwoman
नारी:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनारी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)
पृथुपार्ष्णिःhaving broad heels
पृथुपार्ष्णिः:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootपृथु + पार्ष्णि (प्रातिपदिके)
Formकर्मधारय (पृथु पार्ष्णिः यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Karmadhāraya adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)
चand
च:
Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)
दुर्भगाunfortunate
दुर्भगा:
Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootदुर् + भग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formविशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)
कुलटोन्नतपार्ष्णिhaving a raised heel like a wanton woman
कुलटोन्नतपार्ष्णि:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootकुलटा + उन्नत + पार्ष्णि (प्रातिपदिकानि)
Formबहुपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-समासार्थ (कुलटायाः/कुलटासदृशी उन्नता पार्ष्णिः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Compound adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)
स्यात्would be
स्यात्:
Kriyā (Predicate action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√अस् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; (Optative, 3rd sg)
दीर्घपार्ष्णिःhaving long heels
दीर्घपार्ष्णिः:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootदीर्घ + पार्ष्णि (प्रातिपदिके)
Formकर्मधारय (दीर्घा पार्ष्णिः यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Karmadhāraya adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)
चand
च:
Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)
दुःखभाक्a partaker of sorrow, suffering
दुःखभाक्:
Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootदुःख + भाज् (कृदन्त; √भज्, शतृ/क्विप्-प्रत्ययान्त)
Formउपपद-तत्पुरुष (दुःखं भजते/भाक्); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Tatpuruṣa adjectival; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)
Speaker
Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)
Tirtha Mahatmya
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A comparative tableau of heels: even heel as auspicious; broad heel as unfortunate; raised heel as signaling wantonness; long heel as sorrow-bearing—presented as a moralizing typology.
FAQs
The verse reflects a traditional linkage between bodily signs and character/fortune, urging a dharmic ideal of steadiness and auspiciousness.
Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting (Kāśī-khaṇḍa), though no specific tīrtha is mentioned.
None.