Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

नाधितिष्ठेत्तुषांगार भस्मकेशकपालिकाः । पतितैः सह संवासः पतनायैव जायते

Transliteration

nādhitiṣṭhettuṣāṃgāra bhasmakeśakapālikāḥ | patitaiḥ saha saṃvāsaḥ patanāyaiva jāyate

Translation

One should not step upon husks, embers, ash, hair, or skull-bowls. Living in close company with the fallen (patita) leads only to one’s own downfall.

Word by Word

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

• अधितिष्ठेत्: should sit/stand upon; should occupy
• अधितिष्ठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तुष-अङ्गार-भस्म-केश-कपालिकाः: husks, charcoal, ash, hair, and skull-bowls (impure things)
• तुष-अङ्गार-भस्म-केश-कपालिकाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुष (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गार (प्रातिपदिक) + भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + केश (प्रातिपदिक) + कपालिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः—तुषाः अङ्गाराः भस्म केशाः कपालिकाः (various impure items)

• पतितैः: with outcast/fallen persons
• पतितैः: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• सह: with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable: with)

• संवासः: cohabitation / living together
• संवासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पतनाय: for downfall
• पतनाय: Sampradana/Purpose (Recipient/Goal/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदान (for the purpose of falling)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle: indeed/only)

• जायते: arises / happens
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim carefully avoids stepping on ash and hair near a cremation-adjacent path; embers glow faintly; a skull-bowl (kapāla) lies aside; in parallel, a moral tableau shows the pilgrim turning away from a dissolute group and walking toward a temple lamp.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied by Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer cleanliness and inner discernment in companionship protect one’s dharma and spiritual standing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is part of Kāśī’s broader dharma-code in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, not a single named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid stepping on impure items (ash, hair, etc.) and avoid close association with those fallen from dharma.