Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

मुखे पर्युषिते यस्माद्भवेदशुचिभाग्नरः । ततः कुर्यात्प्रयत्नेन शुद्ध्यर्थं दंतधावनम्

Transliteration

mukhe paryuṣite yasmādbhavedaśucibhāgnaraḥ | tataḥ kuryātprayatnena śuddhyarthaṃ daṃtadhāvanam

Translation

「口が一夜を経て淀むと、人は不浄に与することとなる。ゆえに清浄のため、努めて歯を清めるべきである。」

Word by Word

• मुखे: in the mouth
• मुखे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• पर्युषिते: when (it is) stale/overnight
• पर्युषिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + वस् (धातु) → पर्युषित (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘पर्युषित’ = overnight-stale/remaining (e.g., residue)

• यस्मात्: because of which
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेतौ (ablative of cause)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अशुचिभाग्नरः: a man partaking of impurity / becoming impure
• अशुचिभाग्नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशुचि + भाग + नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अशुचेः भागः यस्य’ इति भावे (impure-share/taint)

• ततः: therefore
• ततः: Anantarya (Sequence/अनन्तर्य)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); तस्मात्/ततः = therefore/then

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; करण (instrumental: with effort)

• शुद्ध्यर्थम्: for purification
• शुद्ध्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शुद्धि + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोजनार्थक-समास; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययप्रयोगः; ‘शुद्ध्यर्थम्’ = for the sake of purification

• दन्तधावनम्: tooth-cleaning
• दन्तधावनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्तधावन (प्रातिपदिक; दन्त + धावन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dawn scene emphasizing purification: a pilgrim, just awakened, performs tooth-cleaning with earnestness, with water ready for rinsing and the temple path ahead.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner and outer cleanliness is foundational for dharma; negligence in basic purity obstructs sacred practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse belongs to Kāśī’s Kāśīkhaṇḍa, but no specific tīrtha is singled out in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform dantadhāvana with care as a necessary step to restore purity after the night.