Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

न संविशेत संध्यायां प्रत्यक्सौम्यशिरा अपि । विण्मूत्रष्ठीवनं नाप्सु कुर्याद्दीर्घजिजीविषुः

Transliteration

na saṃviśeta saṃdhyāyāṃ pratyaksaumyaśirā api | viṇmūtraṣṭhīvanaṃ nāpsu kuryāddīrghajijīviṣuḥ

Translation

Man soll sich zur Sandhyā, in der Dämmerung, nicht niederlegen, selbst wenn der Kopf nach Norden gewandt ist. Wer langes Leben begehrt, soll weder Kot noch Urin noch Speichel ins Wasser geben.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• संविशेत: should lie down
• संविशेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√विश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् — should lie down/rest

• संध्यायाम्: at twilight
• संध्यायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-एकवचनम् — locative singular feminine

• प्रत्यक्: towards the west/backwards
• प्रत्यक्: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रत्यक् (अव्यय/विशेषण)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय (adverb of direction)

• सौम्यशिराः: with head turned northwards (lit. ‘gentle/northern head’)
• सौम्यशिराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौम्य (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस्/शिरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनम् — nominative singular masculine; कर्मधारयः (सौम्यं शिरः यस्य)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• विण्मूत्रष्ठीवनम्: feces, urine, and spittle
• विण्मूत्रष्ठीवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विण् (प्रातिपदिक) + मूत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ष्ठीवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनम् — accusative singular neuter; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (विण्-मूत्र-ष्ठीवन)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• अप्सु: in water
• अप्सु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-बहुवचनम् — locative plural feminine

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

• दीर्घजिजीविषुः: one who wishes to live long
• दीर्घजिजीविषुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + जिजीविषु (प्रातिपदिक; √जीव् से इच्छार्थक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनम् — nominative singular masculine; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः (दीर्घं जिजीविषुः = दीर्घं जीवितुमिच्छन्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī (ghāṭa-sannidhi)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sunset on the Gaṅgā ghāṭ: devotees remain awake and seated for sandhyā, facing the river; a sign-like moral tableau shows a pilgrim carefully avoiding polluting the water, carrying water in a vessel for cleansing away from the river edge.

Characters & Entities

• sandhyā
• water (apsu)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honor sacred times and sacred elements: twilight is for discipline, and water is to be protected from impurity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, the teaching aligns with Kāśī’s sanctity—especially the reverence for holy waters associated with the city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not recline at sandhyā; do not pollute water with excreta or spittle, as a longevity- and purity-oriented rule.