Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66
आर्द्रधात्रीफलोन्माना मृदः शौचे प्रकीर्तिताः । सर्वाश्चाहुतयोप्येवं ग्रासाश्चांद्रायणेपि च । प्रागास्य उदगास्योवा सूपविष्टः शुचौ भुवि । उपस्पृशेद्विहीनायां तुषांगारास्थिभस्मभिः
ārdradhātrīphalonmānā mṛdaḥ śauce prakīrtitāḥ | sarvāścāhutayopyevaṃ grāsāścāṃdrāyaṇepi ca | prāgāsya udagāsyovā sūpaviṣṭaḥ śucau bhuvi | upaspṛśedvihīnāyāṃ tuṣāṃgārāsthibhasmabhiḥ
Für die Reinigung wird das Maß der Erde (die zu verwenden ist) als dem einer frischen Āmalakī-(Dhātrī-)Frucht entsprechend verkündet. Ebenso gilt dasselbe Maß für alle Opfergaben und auch für die Bissen, die im Cāndrāyaṇa-Gelübde genommen werden. Nach Osten oder nach Norden gewandt, recht sitzend auf reinem Boden, soll man den Ritus des Berührens/Schlürfens vollziehen; wenn (geeignete Erde/Wasser) fehlt, dürfen Spreu, Holzkohle, Knochenasche oder Asche als Ersatz dienen.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly as Skanda teaching Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (ritual conduct context)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A ritual teacher demonstrates a measured clod of earth the size of a fresh āmalakī; beside him, a vrata-observer counts Cāndrāyaṇa morsels; a clean mat on the ground is oriented east/north; a small tray shows substitutes—chaff, charcoal, bone-ash, ash—labeled for scarcity situations.
FAQs
Purification is governed by precise dharmic measures and mindful orientation, yet dharma also provides practical substitutes in scarcity.
The instruction belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s ritual framework; it does not single out a named tīrtha in this verse.
Earth for cleansing is measured by a fresh āmalakī; the same standard applies to offerings and Cāndrāyaṇa morsels; face east or north on clean ground; substitutes like chaff/charcoal/ashes are allowed if needed.