Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

कनिष्ठाग्र परीमाणं सत्वचं निर्व्रणं ऋजुम् । द्वादशांगुलमानं च सार्धं स्याद्दंतधावनम्

Transliteration

kaniṣṭhāgra parīmāṇaṃ satvacaṃ nirvraṇaṃ ṛjum | dvādaśāṃgulamānaṃ ca sārdhaṃ syāddaṃtadhāvanam

Translation

The tooth-cleaning twig should be as thick as the tip of the little finger, with bark intact, uninjured and straight; and its length should be twelve and a half aṅgulas.

Word by Word

• kaniṣṭhāgra: (of) the tip of the little finger (as measure)
• kaniṣṭhāgra: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaniṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक) + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (कनिष्ठायाः अग्रः)

• parīmāṇam: measure/size
• parīmāṇam: Visheshya (Qualified noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parīmāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• sa-tvacam: with bark
• sa-tvacam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह) + tvac (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (with bark/skin)

• nirvraṇam: without wounds/blemish
• nirvraṇam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirvraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• ṛjum: straight
• ṛjum: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṛju (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• dvādaśa: twelve
• dvādaśa: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-शब्दः; विशेषण (twelve)

• aṅgula-mānam: finger-length measure
• aṅgula-mānam: Visheshana (Measure qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅgula (प्रातिपदिक) + māna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (अङ्गुलैः मीयते)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• sārdham: and a half (in addition)
• sārdham: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sārdha (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: together/with; here: ‘and a half’)

• syāt: should be
• syāt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• danta-dhāvanam: tooth-cleaning stick (tooth-washing implement)
• danta-dhāvanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: danta (प्रातिपदिक) + dhāvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (दन्तानां धावनम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A close, instructional vignette: hands measuring a twig against finger and aṅgula marks; the twig is straight, barked, and clean; a small water pot and prayer items nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Aṅgula (traditional measure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attention to detail in small acts trains steadiness—ritual order mirrors inner order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is part of Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s discipline for sanctified living in the holy city of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A proper dantadhāvana twig should be straight, unbroken, barked, little-finger-tip thickness, and 12.5 aṅgulas long.