Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

नासावर्त्म द्वयं हित्वा मातरिश्वा मुखाद्वहेत् । शंसेद्दिनद्वयादर्वाक्प्रयाणं तस्य चाध्वनि

nāsāvartma dvayaṃ hitvā mātariśvā mukhādvahet | śaṃseddinadvayādarvākprayāṇaṃ tasya cādhvani

もし両方の鼻道を離れて命の風が口から流れ出るなら、その者が最後の道を進むにあたり、二日以内に旅立ち(死)が来ると告げるべきである。

नासा-वर्त्मthe nasal passage
नासा-वर्त्म:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootनासा (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नासायाः वर्त्म)
द्वयम्both/two
द्वयम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootद्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; नासा-वर्त्म इति विशेषण (the two)
हित्वाhaving left/abandoned
हित्वा:
Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootहा (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपद; ‘having abandoned’
मातरिश्वाwind (Mātariśvan)
मातरिश्वा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमातरिश्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन
मुखात्from the mouth
मुखात्:
Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन
वहेत्should flow
वहेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवह् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
शंसेत्should indicate/foretell
शंसेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootशंस् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
दिन-द्वयात्within/before two days (from two days)
दिन-द्वयात्:
Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootदिन (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (द्वे दिने)
अर्वाक्before
अर्वाक्:
Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअर्वाक् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (adverb: before/this side)
प्रयाणम्departure (death-journey)
प्रयाणम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रयाण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन
तस्यof him
तस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन
and
:
Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)
अध्वनिon the path/journey
अध्वनि:
Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootअध्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

Skanda

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Scene: A dying devotee on a simple cot near a Kāśī ghāṭa, breathing through the mouth; relatives and priests softly chant ‘Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya’; a small Śiva-liṅga and Gaṅgā water vessel are placed nearby; the scene is solemn and compassionate.

M
Mātariśvan

FAQs

At the approach of the end, one should turn fully to God—especially in Kāśī, where remembrance and surrender are praised as liberating.

The verse sits within Kāśī Khaṇḍa instruction; Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is the implied sacred setting where an auspicious end is sought.

No explicit rite; it gives a prognostic sign: prāṇa shifting from the nostrils to the mouth.