Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सुलक्षणापि दुःखार्ता पित्रोः पंचत्वमाप्तयोः । और्ध्वदैहिकमापाद्य दशाहं विनिवर्त्य च

Transliteration

sulakṣaṇāpi duḥkhārtā pitroḥ paṃcatvamāptayoḥ | aurdhvadaihikamāpādya daśāhaṃ vinivartya ca

Translation

虽具吉相，她仍在双亲终逝时为悲苦所压。既行诸般后丧之礼，又圆满十日之守制，遂复归而去。

Word by Word

• su-lakṣaṇā: auspicious (woman)
• su-lakṣaṇā: Visheshya (Apposition/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + lakṣaṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nom., Singular); कर्मधारयः (सु + लक्षणा = well-marked/auspicious)

• api: even/though
• api: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• duḥkha-ārtā: afflicted with grief
• duḥkha-ārtā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक) + ārta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nom., Singular); तत्पुरुषः (duḥkhena ārtā = afflicted by sorrow)

• pitroḥ: of (her) two parents
• pitroḥ: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Gen., Dual)

• paṃcatvam: death (state of being five elements)
• paṃcatvam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṃcatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc., Singular)

• āptayoḥ: having attained
• āptayoḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āp (आप् धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle: āpta); स्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-समासार्थे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Gen., Dual)

• aurdhva-daihikam: post-funeral rites
• aurdhva-daihikam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aurdhva (प्रातिपदिक) + daihika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc., Singular); तत्पुरुषः (ūrdhvaṃ dehe bhavaṃ = post-funeral/after-death rite)

• āpādya: having performed
• āpādya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā + pad (पद् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): āpādya = having performed/undertaken

• daśāham: the ten-day period
• daśāham: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक) + aha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc., Singular); द्विगु-समासः (daśa + aham = ten-day period)

• vinivartya: having completed/returned
• vinivartya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vi + ni + vṛt (वृत् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): vinivartya = having completed/returned from

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (śrāddha/antyeṣṭi milieu)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A woman in mourning performs post-funeral rites: offerings of water and sesame, a simple ritual space with signs of ten-day observance; her face shows restrained grief and duty.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even ‘auspicious’ worldly signs cannot prevent grief and death; dharma is upheld by completing the proper rites for the departed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sacred geography of Kāśī, but this verse itself highlights samskāra-duty rather than a named shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aurdhvadaihika (post-death rites) and the daśāha (ten-day observance) are referenced.