Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

तृणैराच्छाद्य वसुधां शिरः प्रावृत्य वाससा । कर्णोपवीत उदग्वक्त्रो दिवसे संध्ययोरपि

Transliteration

tṛṇairācchādya vasudhāṃ śiraḥ prāvṛtya vāsasā | karṇopavīta udagvaktro divase saṃdhyayorapi

Translation

草をもって地を覆い、布にて頭を覆い、聖紐を耳に掛け、昼は北に向かえ。さらにサンディヤー（sandhyā）の黄昏の節目にも同様にせよ。

Word by Word

• तृणैः: with grass
• तृणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• आच्छाद्य: having covered
• आच्छाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + छद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), अर्थः ‘आच्छादनं कृत्वा’

• वसुधाम्: the ground/earth
• वसुधाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रावृत्य: having covered (wrapped)
• प्रावृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आ + वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), अर्थः ‘आवरणं कृत्वा’

• वाससा: with a cloth/garment
• वाससा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• कर्ण-उपवीतः: with the sacred thread over the ear (ear-looped)
• कर्ण-उपवीतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + उपवीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत्—‘कर्णे उपवीतं यस्य’

• उदक्-वक्त्रः: facing north
• उदक्-वक्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदक्/उदग् (दिक्शब्द, प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘उदक् (उत्तर) दिशि वक्त्रं यस्य’

• दिवसे: in the daytime
• दिवसे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• संध्ययोः: at the two twilights (dawn and dusk)
• संध्ययोः: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Locative/Genitive), द्विवचन; अत्र कालाधिकरणे सप्तमी (at the two twilights)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

Speaker

Deductive: a Dharma-instructor voice within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa (narrative speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A discreet scene: a person in a grove spreads kusa/grass on the ground, head covered with a cloth, sacred thread looped over the ear, body oriented north under daylight; twilight sky hints at sandhyā.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes disciplined bodily conduct—posture, direction, and modesty—especially during purity-related acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the emphasis is on procedure and purity rather than location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cover the earth with grass, cover the head with cloth, place the yajñopavīta over the ear, and face north by day and at sandhyā times.