Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

स्वयंलक्ष्मीरलंकुर्याद्यावै चात्र सुवासिनीः

Transliteration

svayaṃlakṣmīralaṃkuryādyāvai cātra suvāsinīḥ

Translation

而吉祥天女拉克希米亲自为在此的善装妇女（suvasinī）加以妆饰。

Word by Word

• स्वयंलक्ष्मीः: Lakṣmī herself
• स्वयंलक्ष्मीः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयं (अव्यय) + लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘स्वयं (self) + लक्ष्मी’ = ‘Lakṣmī herself’

• अलंकुर्यात्: should adorn
• अलंकुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अलं-कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• यावत्: as much as; to the extent
• यावत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/limiter)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/अवधिबोधक (as much as/so long as)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• सुवासिनीः: well-dressed women
• सुवासिनीः: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु+वासिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue frame traditionally Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of auspiciously dressed women in a sacred Kāśī setting; Lakṣmī appears subtly, placing garlands and ornaments, radiating śrī and maṅgala.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī
• Suvāsinī (auspicious women)
• Yajña assembly (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Where dharma is upheld, auspiciousness naturally manifests—symbolized by Lakṣmī adorning those who participate properly in sacred occasions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī Khaṇḍa setting frames the teaching within Vārāṇasī’s sanctity, though the verse emphasizes auspicious presence in a ritual gathering rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied satkāra (honoring) and maintaining auspicious decorum in yajña assemblies, including the respectful presence of suvāsinīs.