Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

अलाभे दंतकाष्ठानां निषिद्धे वाथ वासरे । गंडूषा द्वादश ग्राह्या मुखस्य परिशुद्धये

Transliteration

alābhe daṃtakāṣṭhānāṃ niṣiddhe vātha vāsare | gaṃḍūṣā dvādaśa grāhyā mukhasya pariśuddhaye

Translation

Lorsque les bâtonnets dentaires sont introuvables, ou lorsque le jour est interdit, qu’on prenne douze rinçages de bouche (gaṇḍūṣa) afin de purifier parfaitement la bouche.

Word by Word

• अलाभे: in the absence (non-availability)
• अलाभे: Adhikaraṇa (Condition-locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलाभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• दंतकाष्ठानाम्: of tooth-sticks
• दंतकाष्ठानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; समासः: तत्पुरुष (दन्तानां काष्ठानि)

• निषिद्धे: on a prohibited (day)
• निषिद्धे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निषिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; √सिध्/सध् with नि-; PPP)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; वासरे इति विशेष्ये (on a forbidden day)

• वा: or
• वा: Conjunction (समुच्चय/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (or)

• अथ: then/also
• अथ: Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/प्रसङ्गसूचक (then/also)

• वासरे: on a day
• वासरे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• गण्डूषाः: mouthfuls (for gargling/holding in mouth)
• गण्डूषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण्डूष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक विशेषण; अव्ययवत्/अविकारी (numeral used adjectivally)

• ग्राह्याः: should be taken
• ग्राह्याः: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/य-प्रत्ययार्थे (gerundive: to be taken); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (should be taken)

• मुखस्य: of the mouth
• मुखस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• परिशुद्धये: for purification
• परिशुद्धये: Prayojana/Sampradāna (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि + शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the purpose of purification)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Brāhma Khaṇḍa narration style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler at a riverside or rest-house without a tooth-stick performs repeated mouth-rinses from cupped hands, counting twelve with prayer beads or finger-counting.

Characters & Entities

• Dantakāṣṭha
• Gaṇḍūṣa
• Śauca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma provides alternatives: when a standard practice is restricted, a permitted substitute preserves purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; it is a practical rule for daily purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

If tooth-sticks cannot be used, perform twelve gaṇḍūṣas (mouth-rinses) to purify the mouth.