Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

ततो मौनेन भुञ्जीत न कुर्याद्दंतघर्षणम् । प्रक्षालितव्यहस्तस्य दक्षिणांगुष्ठमूलतः

Transliteration

tato maunena bhuñjīta na kuryāddaṃtagharṣaṇam | prakṣālitavyahastasya dakṣiṇāṃguṣṭhamūlataḥ

Translation

Daraufhin soll man schweigend essen und die Zähne weder schaben noch knirschen. Mit gewaschenen Händen (nach Vorschrift) beginne man vom Ansatz des rechten Daumens.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viseshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb) — ‘तस्मात्/अनन्तरम्’

• मौनेन: with silence
• मौनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• भुञ्जीत: should eat
• भुञ्जीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• दन्तघर्षणम्: grinding/gnashing of teeth
• दन्तघर्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त + घर्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचनम्; ‘दन्तानां घर्षणम्’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रक्षालितव्यहस्तस्य: of one whose hands are washed/should be washed
• प्रक्षालितव्यहस्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + √क्षल् (धातु) + तव्य (कृदन्त) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचनम्; ‘प्रक्षालितव्यः हस्तः यस्य’ इति (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः) — व्यवहारतः ‘whose hands are to be washed/washed’

• दक्षिणाङ्गुष्ठमूलतः: from the base of the right thumb
• दक्षिणाङ्गुष्ठमूलतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दक्षिण + अङ्गुष्ठ + मूल + तः (प्रातिपदिक + अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; पञ्चमी-अर्थक ‘-तः’ (ablatival adverb) — ‘दक्षिण-अङ्गुष्ठस्य मूलात्’

Speaker

Vyāsa (deduced from immediate narrative context of Dharmāraṇya instructions)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet dining scene: a brāhmaṇa/householder seated on the floor before a leaf-plate, hands freshly washed, eating silently with controlled gestures; a small water pot nearby; atmosphere of restraint and purity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and restraint sanctify even ordinary acts like eating, making daily life an extension of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse teaches personal conduct (ācāra) rather than sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Eat in silence, avoid tooth-scraping during the meal, and follow cleanliness and prescribed hand-use etiquette.