Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

शयनस्थो न चाश्नीयान्नपिबेन्न जपेद्द्विजः । सोपानत्कश्चनाचामेन्न तिष्ठन्धारया पिबेत्

Transliteration

śayanastho na cāśnīyānnapibenna japeddvijaḥ | sopānatkaścanācāmenna tiṣṭhandhārayā pibet

Translation

Ein Dvija (Zweimalgeborener) soll weder essen noch trinken noch Japa sprechen, während er liegt. Niemand soll Ācamana mit Schuhwerk vollziehen; und man soll Wasser nicht im Stehen als ununterbrochenen Strom schlürfen.

Word by Word

• शयन-स्थः: lying down
• शयन-स्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शयन (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—शयने स्थितः (lying down)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

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

• अश्नीयात्: should eat
• अश्नीयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• पिबेत्: should drink
• पिबेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• जपेत्: should recite/mutter
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• द्विजः: a twice-born (Brahmin etc.)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स-उपानत्: wearing sandals/shoes
• स-उपानत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) + उपानत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/सम्बोधन-प्रयोगेऽपि सम्भवः, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः—उपानद्भिः सह/उपानत् (wearing footwear)

• कश्चन: anyone / someone
• कश्चन: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: कश्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• आचामेत्: should sip water (ācāmana)
• आचामेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• तिष्ठन्: standing
• तिष्ठन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘standing’ (used adverbially with following action)

• धारया: in a stream (continuous flow)
• धारया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/प्रकारवाचक (by a stream/continuous flow)

• पिबेत्: should drink
• पिबेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dvija sits upright on a kuśa mat doing japa with a mālā; nearby sandals are set aside; a small ācāmana spoon and lotā; another figure stands but is shown refraining from drinking in a careless stream.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied by Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence is expressed through disciplined bodily conduct—posture, cleanliness, and proper manner of sipping water.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame, guiding proper conduct for life in sacred Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not do japa/eat/drink while lying down; do not do ācamana with shoes; avoid drinking by a running stream while standing.