Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

वसानश्चर्मचीराणि साग्निर्मुन्यन्नवर्तनः । जटी सायंप्रगे स्नायी श्मश्रुलोनखलोमभृत्

Transliteration

vasānaścarmacīrāṇi sāgnirmunyannavartanaḥ | jaṭī sāyaṃprage snāyī śmaśrulonakhalomabhṛt

Translation

Wearing skins and bark-garments, maintaining the sacred fire, living on forest fare; with matted locks, bathing at dawn and dusk, he should keep beard, hair, nails, and body-hair unshorn as an ascetic observance.

Word by Word

• वसानः: wearing
• वसानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (विप्रः/वानप्रस्थः)

• चर्मचीराणि: skins and bark-garments
• चर्मचीराणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + चीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; समासः—चर्म च चीरं च (द्वन्द्व)

• साग्निः: with (sacred) fire
• साग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—अग्निसहितः (सह-तत्पुरुष)

• मुन्यन्नवर्तनः: subsisting on sages’ food (simple fare)
• मुन्यन्नवर्तनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—मुन्यन्नेन वर्तनम् यस्य (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपदसमासार्थ)

• जटी: matted-haired
• जटी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जटिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सायंप्रगे: in the evening and in the morning
• सायंप्रगे: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सायम् (अव्यय) + प्रगे (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययद्वयम्; कालवाचक (time adverbs)

• स्नायी: one who bathes
• स्नायी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + इन्/ई (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक (habitual/agentive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• श्मश्रुलोनखलोमभृत्: bearing beard, hair, nails (untrimmed)
• श्मश्रुलोनखलोमभृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्मश्रु (प्रातिपदिक) + लोम (प्रातिपदिक) + नख (प्रातिपदिक) + लोम (प्रातिपदिक) + भृत् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—श्मश्रु-लोम-नख-लोमानि बिभर्ति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermit with matted hair and bark garments tends a small sacred fire; a riverbank or pond nearby suggests morning/evening bathing; his unshorn beard and nails signify vrata.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Sacred Fire (Agni)
• Vānaprastha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True withdrawal is structured: simplicity, purity, and steadiness in vows replace luxury and social identity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified in this verse; it functions as dharma instruction within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintaining the sacred fire, bathing morning and evening, and observing ascetic grooming rules (keeping hair/nails unshorn).