Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

अभिपश्यन्न कुर्वीत मलमूत्रविसर्ज नम् । मुखेनोपधमेन्नाग्निं नग्नां नेक्षेत योषितम्

Transliteration

abhipaśyanna kurvīta malamūtravisarja nam | mukhenopadhamennāgniṃ nagnāṃ nekṣeta yoṣitam

Translation

Qu’on ne fasse pas ses besoins en regardant de tous côtés. Qu’on ne souffle pas sur le feu avec la bouche. Qu’on ne pose pas le regard sur une femme nue.

Word by Word

• abhipaśyan: while looking at
• abhipaśyan: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi + paś (पश् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), प्रथमा-एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; ‘looking at/seeing’

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• kurvīta: should do
• kurvīta: Kriya (Injunctive action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष? (actually मध्यम/उत्तम not; here general injunction: 3rd person singular), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘should do’

• mala-mūtra-visarjanam: evacuation of feces and urine
• mala-mūtra-visarjanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mala + mūtra + visarjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मलस्य मূत्रस्य च विसर्जनम्)

• mukhena: with the mouth
• mukhena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• upadhamet: should blow
• upadhamet: Kriya (Injunctive action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa + dham (धम् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘should blow’

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• agnim: fire
• agnim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• nagnām: a naked (woman)
• nagnām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nagnā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (context: ‘a naked woman’)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• īkṣeta: should look at
• īkṣeta: Kriya (Injunctive action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: īkṣ (ईक्ष् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; ‘should look’

• yoṣitam: a woman
• yoṣitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoṣit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An āśrama courtyard: a small sacred fire burns; an attendant fans it with a palm-leaf fan; nearby, a path screened by foliage suggests privacy and modest conduct; the scene emphasizes restraint rather than spectacle.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches sadācāra—self-restraint, cleanliness, reverence, and modesty as foundations for dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is primarily a dharma/ācāra injunction within the Dharmāraṇya section; it does not directly praise a particular tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Behavioral prescriptions are given: do not relieve oneself while looking around, do not blow on sacred fire with the mouth, and avoid immodest gazing—supporting śauca (purity) and respectful conduct.