Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

वैधव्यं रोमशैरुक्तं दौर्भाग्यं चिपिटैरपि । मध्यच्छिद्रैर्महादुःखं दारिद्र्यं कठिनत्वचैः

Transliteration

vaidhavyaṃ romaśairuktaṃ daurbhāgyaṃ cipiṭairapi | madhyacchidrairmahāduḥkhaṃ dāridryaṃ kaṭhinatvacaiḥ

Translation

圣者说：头发粗硬竖立，是寡居之相；面貌扁平，亦示不幸。中部有凹陷，表大悲苦；皮肤坚硬，则为贫困之征。

Word by Word

• वैधव्यम्: widowhood
• वैधव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैधव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• रोमशैः: by/with bristly hairs
• रोमशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोमश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (हेतौ/लक्षणे)

• उक्तम्: is said (to result)
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-भावः ‘said/declared’

• दौर्भाग्यम्: misfortune
• दौर्भाग्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्-भाग्य (प्रातिपदिक; दुर् + भाग्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• चिपिटैः: by/with flat (features/pores)
• चिपिटैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिपिट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (हेतौ/लक्षणे)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थकः (also/even)

• मध्यच्छिद्रैः: by/with central holes
• मध्यच्छिद्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य-छिद्र (प्रातिपदिक; मध्य + छिद्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (हेतौ/लक्षणे)

• महा-दुःखम्: great sorrow
• महा-दुःखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-दुःख (प्रातिपदिक; महा + दुःख)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• दारिद्र्यम्: poverty
• दारिद्र्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दारिद्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• कठिनत्वचैः: by/with hard skin
• कठिनत्वचैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कठिन-त्वच् (प्रातिपदिक; कठिन + त्वच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (हेतौ/लक्षणे)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary didactic scene: rough bristling hair signifying widowhood, flattened features misfortune, a hollow mid-body signifying great sorrow, hard skin signifying poverty—presented as symbolic ‘inauspicious marks’ in a teacher’s discourse.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse summarizes inauspicious indicators as symbolic language for hardship, reflecting a karmic-moral reading of life outcomes in Purāṇic tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-khaṇḍa framework grounds the teaching in the sanctity of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), though no single tīrtha is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.