Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

कपोलौ वक्त्रमधरोत्तरोष्ठौ द्विजजिह्विकाः । घंटिका तालुहसितं नासिकाक्षुतमक्षिणी

Transliteration

kapolau vaktramadharottaroṣṭhau dvijajihvikāḥ | ghaṃṭikā tāluhasitaṃ nāsikākṣutamakṣiṇī

Translation

Contemplate the two cheeks, the face, the lower and upper lips, the teeth and the tongue; the uvula, the palate and the smile; the nose and the sneeze, and the eyes.

Word by Word

• कपोलौ: the two cheeks
• कपोलौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपोल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• वक्त्रम्: face/mouth
• वक्त्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• अधर-उत्तर-ओष्ठौ: the lower and upper lips
• अधर-उत्तर-ओष्ठौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + ओष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual); द्वन्द्वसमास (lower and upper lips)

• द्विजजिह्विकाः: (so-called) “bird-tongues” (a bodily feature)
• द्विजजिह्विकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + जिह्विका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजस्य जिह्विका)

• घण्टिका: uvula/little bell (in throat)
• घण्टिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घण्टिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तालु-हसितम्: smile/laughter of the palate (palatal feature)
• तालु-हसितम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तालु (प्रातिपदिक) + हसित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तालोः हसितम्)

• नासिका-क्षुतम्: sneeze of the nose
• नासिका-क्षुतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नासिका (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षुत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नासिकायाः क्षुतम्)

• अक्षिणी: the two eyes
• अक्षिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic setting in Kāśī: a sage-like narrator enumerates facial features as auspicious marks, with a calm, scholastic ambience—palm-leaf manuscript, seated listeners, subtle संकेत (indications) of Kāśī in the background (ghats/temple spires).

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Speech and perception (mouth and eyes) are treated as significant indicators—hinting that inner character expresses itself through outward faculties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse remains within the broader Kāśī-khaṇḍa context without a specific site reference.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.