Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

अंगुलीभिस्त्रिभिः पश्चात्पुनरास्यं स्पृशेत्सुधीः । तर्जन्यंगुष्ठकोट्या च घ्राणरंध्रे पुनः पुनः

Transliteration

aṃgulībhistribhiḥ paścātpunarāsyaṃ spṛśetsudhīḥ | tarjanyaṃguṣṭhakoṭyā ca ghrāṇaraṃdhre punaḥ punaḥ

Translation

এরপর জ্ঞানী ব্যক্তি তিন আঙুল দিয়ে পুনরায় মুখ স্পর্শ করবে; এবং তর্জনী ও বৃদ্ধাঙ্গুষ্ঠের ডগা দিয়ে নাসারন্ধ্র দু’টি বারবার স্পর্শ করবে।

Word by Word

• अङ्गुलीभिः: with fingers
• अङ्गुलीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• त्रिभिः: with three (of them)
• त्रिभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (afterwards)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (again)

• आस्यम्: mouth
• आस्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्पृशेत्: should touch
• स्पृशेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुधीः: the wise person
• सुधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-धी (प्रातिपदिक; सु + धी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सुधी’ = सुष्ठु धीः यस्य (wise person)

• तर्जनीअङ्गुष्ठकोट्या: with the tip of the index finger and thumb
• तर्जनीअङ्गुष्ठकोट्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्जनी-अङ्गुष्ठ-कोटि (प्रातिपदिक; तर्जनी + अङ्गुष्ठ + कोटि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; ‘तर्जन्याः अङ्गुष्ठस्य च कोटिः’ (tips/edges of index finger and thumb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• घ्राणरन्ध्रे: in the nostril opening
• घ्राणरन्ध्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घ्राण-रन्ध्र (प्रातिपदिक; घ्राण + रन्ध्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘घ्राणस्य रन्ध्रम्’

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (again)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (again)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly as Skanda teaching Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ācamana-aṅga-sparśa in Kāśī

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee’s hands are shown in sequence: three fingers touch the lips; then index finger and thumb tips touch each nostril repeatedly, with a calm, concentrated face.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity is maintained through careful, repeated gestures that train attention and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is a general rite-description within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa; it does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Touch the mouth with three fingers, then touch the nostrils repeatedly using the tips of the index finger and thumb.