Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

सपवित्रौ करौ यस्य यन्नीवी कुशगर्भिणी । यन्मौलिः सशिखाग्रंथिः स ज्ञेयो ब्राह्मणस्त्वया

Transliteration

sapavitrau karau yasya yannīvī kuśagarbhiṇī | yanmauliḥ saśikhāgraṃthiḥ sa jñeyo brāhmaṇastvayā

Translation

—der, dessen Hände die reinigenden Ringe (pavitra) tragen, dessen Hüftband Kuśa-Gras birgt und dessen Haupt einen Knoten mit gebundener Śikhā trägt: den sollst du als Brahmanen erkennen.“

Word by Word

• सपवित्रौ: with sacred rings/grass (pavitra)
• सपवित्रौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-द्विवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with करौ)

• करौ: two hands
• करौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-द्विवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन

• यत्: whose
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (refers to nīvī)

• नीवी: girdle/waistband
• नीवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• कुशगर्भिणी: containing kuśa grass
• कुशगर्भिणी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुश + गर्भिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with नीवी)

• यत्: whose
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (refers to mauliḥ)

• मौलिः: topknot/head-hair
• मौलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• सशिखाग्रन्थिः: with a tied tuft-knot
• सशिखाग्रन्थिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + शिखा + ग्रन्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with मौलिः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• ज्ञेयः: is to be known
• ज्ञेयः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: भाव्य (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यम-पुरुष सर्वनाम, तृतीया-एकवचन

Speaker

Vinatā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa figure is shown with pavitra rings on hands, a waistband tucked with kuśa grass, and a neatly tied śikhā/topknot; Vinatā indicates these to Garuḍa as definitive markers.

Characters & Entities

• Vinatā
• Garuḍa
• Kuśa
• Pavitra
• Śikhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is safeguarded through recognition and protection of those devoted to Vedic disciplines.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is directly named in this verse; it is part of the Kāśī Khaṇḍa narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Indicative ritual markers: pavitra (rings), kuśa in the waist-band, and maintaining the śikhā.