Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

मुंजाभावे विधातव्या कुशाश्मंतकबल्वजैः । ग्रंथिनैकेन संयुक्ता त्रिभिः पंचभिरेव वा

Transliteration

muṃjābhāve vidhātavyā kuśāśmaṃtakabalvajaiḥ | graṃthinaikena saṃyuktā tribhiḥ paṃcabhireva vā

Translation

فإن لم يوجد المُنْجا (muñja)، صُنِعَت المِخَلا من ألياف الكوشا (kuśa) أو الأَشْمَنْتَكا (aśmantaka) أو البَلْفَجا (balvaja)، وتُجمع بعقدةٍ واحدة، أو بثلاث، أو بخمس.

Word by Word

• muṃja-abhāve: in the absence of muñja-grass
• muṃja-abhāve: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muṃja (प्रातिपदिक) + abhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘in the absence of muñja’

• vidhātavyā: should be made
• vidhātavyā: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√dhā (धा) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive): ‘to be made/arranged’

• kuśa-aśmaṃtaka-balvajaiḥ: with kuśa, aśmaṃtaka, and balvaja (materials)
• kuśa-aśmaṃtaka-balvajaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśa (प्रातिपदिक) + aśmaṃtaka (प्रातिपदिक) + balvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व (समाहार/इतरेतर): ‘with kuśa, aśmaṃtaka, and balvaja (fibres)’

• graṃthinā: with a knot
• graṃthinā: Karana (Specification/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: graṃthin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण: ‘with a knot’ (knotted)

• ekena: with one (knot)
• ekena: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• saṃyuktā: joined; combined
• saṃyuktā: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-√yuj (युज्) क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त: ‘joined/combined’

• tribhiḥ: with three (knots/strands)
• tribhiḥ: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• paṃcabhiḥ: with five (knots/strands)
• paṃcabhiḥ: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• eva: indeed; only
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): restriction/emphasis ‘only/indeed’

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (disjunctive particle): ‘or’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame; not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A craftsman/ācārya preparing a mekhalā from kuśa/aśmantaka/balvaja fibres, tying one, three, or five knots; bundles of grasses and fibres are laid out on a mat.

Characters & Entities

• Muñja
• Kuśa
• Aśmantaka
• Balvaja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practical: when ideal materials are unavailable, sanctioned alternatives preserve the rite’s intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is instructional within Kāśī Khaṇḍa and does not name a particular tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes alternative fibres for the mekhalā and specifies permissible knot counts (1, 3, or 5).