Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

सर्वं तिलमयं नाद्यात्सायं शर्माभिलाषुकः । न निरीक्षेत विण्मूत्रे नोच्छिष्टः संस्पृशेच्छिरः

Transliteration

sarvaṃ tilamayaṃ nādyātsāyaṃ śarmābhilāṣukaḥ | na nirīkṣeta viṇmūtre nocchiṣṭaḥ saṃspṛśecchiraḥ

Translation

Desiring well-being, one should not eat food made wholly of sesame in the evening. One should not look at feces and urine, and one should not touch one’s head while impure from food-remnants (ucchiṣṭa).

Word by Word

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the object)

• तिल-मयम्: made of sesame
• तिल-मयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—तिलेन निर्मितम्/तिलयुक्तम् (made of sesame)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• अद्यात्: should eat
• अद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सायम्: in the evening
• सायम्: Kaala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सायम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: in the evening)

• शर्म-अभिलाषुकः: desiring comfort/well-being
• शर्म-अभिलाषुकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिलाषुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—शर्मणः अभिलाषुकः (desirous of comfort/welfare)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• निरीक्षेत: should look at
• निरीक्षेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विण्-मूत्रे: in/at feces and urine
• विण्-मूत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विण् (प्रातिपदिक) + मूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वः—विण् च मूत्रं च (feces and urine)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• उच्छिष्टः: impure from food remnants
• उच्छिष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उच्छिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• संस्पृशेत्: should touch
• संस्पृशेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Evening in Kāśī: a household avoids a sesame-heavy dish; a pilgrim turns gaze away from an impure area; after meals, he washes and only then touches his head/hair before entering a shrine lane.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied by Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is preserved through dietary restraint and careful observance of purity, especially regarding ucchiṣṭa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s guidance for righteous living in Kāśī rather than a single named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid all-sesame preparations in the evening; avoid impure sights; do not touch the head while ucchiṣṭa.