Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

कंडूयनं हि शिरसः पाणिभ्यां न शुभं मतम् । आताडनं कराभ्यां च क्रोशनं केशलुंचनम्

Transliteration

kaṃḍūyanaṃ hi śirasaḥ pāṇibhyāṃ na śubhaṃ matam | ātāḍanaṃ karābhyāṃ ca krośanaṃ keśaluṃcanam

Translation

കൈകളാൽ തല ചൊറിയുന്നത് ശുഭമെന്ന് കരുതുന്നില്ല; അതുപോലെ കൈകളാൽ സ്വയം അടിക്കുക, ഉച്ചത്തിൽ വിലപിക്കുക, മുടി പിഴുതെടുക്കുക എന്നിവയും (അശുഭം).

Word by Word

• कण्डूयनम्: scratching
• कण्डूयनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्डूयन (प्रातिपदिक; √कण्डूय् + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्रियानाम (action noun)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• शिरसः: of the head
• शिरसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पाणिभ्याम्: with (both) hands
• पाणिभ्याम्: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मतम्)

• मतम्: is considered
• मतम्: Kriya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत (प्रातिपदिक; √मन् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, भावे/निर्णये (opinion/considered)

• आताडनम्: striking/beating
• आताडनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-ताडन (प्रातिपदिक; √ताड् + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्रियानाम

• कराभ्याम्: with (both) hands
• कराभ्याम्: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• क्रोशनम्: shouting/crying out
• क्रोशनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोशन (प्रातिपदिक; √क्रुश् + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्रियानाम

• केशलुञ्चनम्: pulling out hair
• केशलुञ्चनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक) + लुञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक; √लुञ्च् + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (केशानां लुञ्चनम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A restrained mourning/ritual scene on a ghat: family members sit quietly, hands folded; an officiant gestures calmingly, discouraging frantic gestures like hair-pulling or wailing.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied by Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspiciousness is protected by restraint—avoiding agitated, self-harming, or disorderly behavior.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s guidance for conduct in Kāśī rather than a named pilgrimage spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid inauspicious actions such as head-scratching, striking oneself, wailing, and hair-plucking.