Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

अलाभे दंतकाष्ठानां निषिद्धे वाथ वासरे । गंडूषा द्वादश ग्राह्या मुखस्य परिशुद्धये

Transliteration

alābhe daṃtakāṣṭhānāṃ niṣiddhe vātha vāsare | gaṃḍūṣā dvādaśa grāhyā mukhasya pariśuddhaye

Translation

Quand on ne trouve pas de bâtonnets dentaires, ou lorsque le jour en interdit l’usage, on doit faire douze bains de bouche (gaṇḍūṣa) afin de purifier parfaitement la bouche.

Word by Word

• alābhe: in the absence (non-availability)
• alābhe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: alābha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• dantakāṣṭhānām: of tooth-sticks (chewing sticks)
• dantakāṣṭhānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: danta (प्रातिपदिक) + kāṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुष-समास (दन्तस्य काष्ठम्)

• niṣiddhe: when (it is) forbidden
• niṣiddhe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niṣiddha (कृदन्त; नि-√sidh/√sedh धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past passive participle)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• atha: then / also
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक/प्रसङ्गसूचक-अव्यय (then/now)

• vāsare: on a day
• vāsare: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• gaṇḍūṣāḥ: mouthful rinses (gargles)
• gaṇḍūṣāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇḍūṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• dvādaśa: twelve
• dvādaśa: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-शब्दः; बहुवचनार्थे विशेषण (numeral adjective: twelve)

• grāhyāḥ: should be taken
• grāhyāḥ: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √grah (धातु) + यत्/ण्यत् (कृदन्त; विधेय-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विधिलिङ्गार्थक ‘ग्रहणीय’ (to be taken)

• mukhasya: of the mouth
• mukhasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• pariśuddhaye: for purification
• pariśuddhaye: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pariśuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dawn scene on a Kāśī ghat: a pilgrim facing the river performs repeated mouth-rinses from a small lotā, preparing for worship; nearby are simple toiletries and a prayer-bead strand.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇḍūṣa (mouth-rinse rite)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When primary means are restricted, dharma provides a valid substitute—purity is maintained without violation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s sacred routine associated with life in Vārāṇasī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform twelve gaṇḍūṣas (mouth-rinses/holds) when tooth-sticks are unavailable or forbidden by the calendar.