Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

आमौलिं वाऽललाटंवाऽनासमूर्ध्वप्रमाणतः । ब्रह्मक्षत्रविशां दंडस्त्वगाढ्योनाग्निदूषितः

Transliteration

āmauliṃ vā'lalāṭaṃvā'nāsamūrdhvapramāṇataḥ | brahmakṣatraviśāṃ daṃḍastvagāḍhyonāgnidūṣitaḥ

Translation

Its measure should extend to the crown of the head, or to the forehead, or at least to the height from the nose upward. The staff for brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, and vaiśya should be firm and stout, and not defiled by fire—neither scorched nor damaged.

Word by Word

• आमौलिम्: up to the crown (mauli)
• आमौलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आमौलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘up to the crown/topknot’ (accusative of extent)

• वा: or
• वा: Discourse particle (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• ललाटम्: forehead
• ललाटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Discourse particle (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• अनासमूर्ध्वप्रमाणतः: according to the measure from the nose upward
• अनासमूर्ध्वप्रमाणतः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ-नास (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित/अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’; समासः: (नासामूर्ध्व) + प्रमाण + तः = ‘according to the measure from the nose upward’

• ब्रह्मक्षत्रविशाम्: of brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, and vaiśyas
• ब्रह्मक्षत्रविशाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya)

• दण्डः: the staff
• दण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (सम्बन्धसूचक/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• अगाढ्यः: not thick
• अगाढ्यः: Visheshana (Adjective of दण्डः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-गाढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; नञ्-समास/नकार-प्रत्यय: ‘not thick/heavy’

• उना: not
• उना: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक-निपात (negative particle) = ‘not’

• अग्निदूषितः: not damaged/tainted by fire
• अग्निदूषितः: Visheshana (Adjective of दण्डः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + दूषित (कृदन्त; √दूष् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘dūṣita’; तत्पुरुषः: अग्निना दूषितः (instrumental sense)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dharma-seeking audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ācārya measures a student’s staff against the student’s body (nose/forehead/crown), inspecting it for firmness and absence of burn marks; the scene is set in a Kāśī gurukula courtyard near the river.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual discipline includes careful adherence to measure, fitness, and purity—outer correctness supports inner restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the setting of the teaching; the sacred city is presented as a place where dharma is precisely taught and practiced.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes acceptable lengths of the staff and requires it to be sturdy and not fire-damaged.