Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

नीराजयति योंगानि गवां पुच्छेन भाग्यवान् । अलक्ष्मीः कलहो रोगास्तस्यांगाद्यांति दूरतः

Transliteration

nīrājayati yoṃgāni gavāṃ pucchena bhāgyavān | alakṣmīḥ kalaho rogāstasyāṃgādyāṃti dūrataḥ

Translation

That blessed person who performs the protective nīrājana over the limbs with a cow’s tail—misfortune, quarrel, and disease depart far from his body.

Word by Word

• नीराजयति: worships with ārati / makes auspicious by waving (light)
• नीराजयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी + राज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अङ्गानि: limbs
• अङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• पुच्छेन: with the tail
• पुच्छेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• भाग्यवान्: fortunate
• भाग्यवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाग्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (यः इति कर्तरि विशेषण)

• अलक्ष्मीः: misfortune
• अलक्ष्मीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कलहः: quarrel
• कलहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• रोगाः: diseases
• रोगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अङ्गात्: from (his) body
• अङ्गात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• यान्ति: go away
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• दूरतः: far away
• दूरतः: Desha/Prakara (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/देशवाचक (adverb: far away)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; continuing dharma instructions in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Characters & Entities

• Cow (Go)
• Cow’s tail (Puccha)
• Alakṣmī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with and ritual honoring of the cow is portrayed as a shield against inauspiciousness, conflict, and illness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharma milieu; the broader glorification is of Kāśī as a place where such rites bear great fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform nīrājana (protective waving/ārati-like warding rite) over one’s body using a cow’s tail.