Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

अलाभे दंतकाष्ठानां निषिद्धे वाथ वासरे । गंडूषा द्वादश ग्राह्या मुखस्य परिशुद्धये

Transliteration

alābhe daṃtakāṣṭhānāṃ niṣiddhe vātha vāsare | gaṃḍūṣā dvādaśa grāhyā mukhasya pariśuddhaye

Translation

ദന്തകാഷ്ഠം ലഭിക്കാതെയോ, നിഷിദ്ധ ദിനമായാലോ, വായിന്റെ പൂർണ്ണ ശുദ്ധിക്കായി പന്ത്രണ്ടു ഗണ്ഡൂഷങ്ങൾ (വായ്കഴുകൽ) ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• अलाभे: in the absence (non-availability)
• अलाभे: Adhikaraṇa (Condition-locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलाभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• दंतकाष्ठानाम्: of tooth-sticks
• दंतकाष्ठानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; समासः: तत्पुरुष (दन्तानां काष्ठानि)

• निषिद्धे: on a prohibited (day)
• निषिद्धे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निषिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; √सिध्/सध् with नि-; PPP)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; वासरे इति विशेष्ये (on a forbidden day)

• वा: or
• वा: Conjunction (समुच्चय/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (or)

• अथ: then/also
• अथ: Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/प्रसङ्गसूचक (then/also)

• वासरे: on a day
• वासरे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• गण्डूषाः: mouthfuls (for gargling/holding in mouth)
• गण्डूषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण्डूष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक विशेषण; अव्ययवत्/अविकारी (numeral used adjectivally)

• ग्राह्याः: should be taken
• ग्राह्याः: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/य-प्रत्ययार्थे (gerundive: to be taken); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (should be taken)

• मुखस्य: of the mouth
• मुखस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• परिशुद्धये: for purification
• परिशुद्धये: Prayojana/Sampradāna (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि + शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the purpose of purification)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Brāhma Khaṇḍa narration style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler at a riverside or rest-house without a tooth-stick performs repeated mouth-rinses from cupped hands, counting twelve with prayer beads or finger-counting.

Characters & Entities

• Dantakāṣṭha
• Gaṇḍūṣa
• Śauca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma provides alternatives: when a standard practice is restricted, a permitted substitute preserves purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; it is a practical rule for daily purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

If tooth-sticks cannot be used, perform twelve gaṇḍūṣas (mouth-rinses) to purify the mouth.