Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

ग्रामाद्धनुःशतं गच्छेन्नगराच्च चतुर्गुणम् । तृणैराच्छाद्य वसुधां शिरः प्रावृत्य वाससा

Transliteration

grāmāddhanuḥśataṃ gacchennagarācca caturguṇam | tṛṇairācchādya vasudhāṃ śiraḥ prāvṛtya vāsasā

Translation

Man soll sich von einem Dorf hundert Bogenlängen entfernen und von einer Stadt das Vierfache davon. Den Boden mit Gras bedeckend und das Haupt mit einem Tuch verhüllend, soll man angemessen fortfahren.

Word by Word

• ग्रामात्: from the village
• ग्रामात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• धनुः-शतम्: a hundred bow-lengths
• धनुः-शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक-द्विगु

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नगरात्: from the city
• नगरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

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

• चतुर्गुणम्: four times (that distance)
• चतुर्गुणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक (fourfold)

• तृणैः: with grass
• तृणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• आच्छाद्य: having covered
• आच्छाद्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-छद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘आच्छाद्/आ-छद्’ धातोः

• वसुधाम्: the ground/earth
• वसुधाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रावृत्य: having covered/wrapped
• प्रावृत्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आ-वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘प्रावृ’ (प्र+आ+वृ) धातोः

• वाससा: with a cloth/garment
• वाससा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Characters & Entities

• Village (Grāma)
• City (Nagara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity includes social responsibility—maintaining distance and decorum so that communal spaces remain clean and dignified.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is directly named; the verse supports the broader Kāśīkhaṇḍa ethos of maintaining purity for sacred living.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go far from habitation (100 bow-lengths from a village; four times from a city), cover the ground with grass, and cover the head with cloth.