Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

कर्णोपवीत्युदग्वक्त्रो दिवसे संध्ययोरपि । विण्मूत्रे विसृजेन्मौनी निशायां दक्षिणामुखः

Transliteration

karṇopavītyudagvaktro divase saṃdhyayorapi | viṇmūtre visṛjenmaunī niśāyāṃ dakṣiṇāmukhaḥ

Translation

Am Tage—und auch zu den beiden Sandhyā-Zeiten—soll man die heilige Schnur in der «über-dem-Ohr»-Weise tragen und nach Norden blicken; schweigend soll man Stuhl und Urin entleeren. Nachts wende man sich nach Süden.

Word by Word

• कर्ण-उपवीती: wearing the sacred thread over the ear (karṇopavīta)
• कर्ण-उपवीती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + उपवीतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; ‘कर्णे उपवीतं यस्य’ इति (उपवीत-धारण-विशेषः)

• उदक्-वक्त्रः: facing north
• उदक्-वक्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदक्/उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; ‘उदङ्मुखः’ = उत्तराभिमुखः

• दिवसे: in the daytime
• दिवसे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• संध्ययोः: at the two twilights
• संध्ययोः: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), द्विवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (also/even)

• विण्मूत्रे: in excretion/urination (feces and urine)
• विण्मूत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विण्मूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; विण् + मूत्र (समाहार-द्वन्द्व)

• विसृजेत्: should discharge/evacuate
• विसृजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-सृज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मौनी: a silent/observant person
• मौनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौनिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• निशायाम्: at night
• निशायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• दक्षिण-मुखः: facing south
• दक्षिण-मुखः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; ‘दक्षिणाभिमुखः’

Speaker

Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa-pilgrim with sacred thread looped over the ear (karṇopavīta), finger to lips in silence, oriented north under daylight; a second vignette shows him at night facing south under moonlight.

Characters & Entities

• Sandhyā (dawn/dusk)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even unavoidable bodily acts are to be done with restraint, silence, and directional discipline, preserving ritual mindfulness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the guidance is part of Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s purity discipline for sacred life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

By day (including dawn/dusk): karṇopavītī and facing north; at night: facing south; observe silence during evacuation.