Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

नोलूखले न मुसले न वर्द्धन्यां दृषद्यपि । न यंत्रकेन देहल्यां सती चोपविशेत्क्वचित्

Transliteration

nolūkhale na musale na varddhanyāṃ dṛṣadyapi | na yaṃtrakena dehalyāṃ satī copaviśetkvacit

Translation

സതീ സ്ത്രീ ഉലൂഖലം (ഉരൽ) മേലോ, മുസലം മേലോ, വർദ്ധനീ (ചാലനി/കൂടയുടെ ആധാരം) മേലോ, ദൃഷദ് (അരയ്ക്കുന്ന കല്ല്) മേലോ പോലും; യന്ത്രകം (നെയ്ത്തുപകരണ) മേലോ, ദേഹലീ (വാതിൽത്തറ) മേലോ—ഒരിക്കലും ഇരിക്കരുത്।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• उलूखले: on/at the mortar
• उलूखले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उलूखल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• मुसले: on/at the pestle
• मुसले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुसल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• वर्द्धन्याम्: on/at the kneading-trough (or winnowing basket)
• वर्द्धन्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्द्धनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृषदि: on/at the grinding stone
• दृषदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृषद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• यन्त्रकेन: with/using a device/contrivance
• यन्त्रकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यन्त्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• देहल्याम्: on the threshold
• देहल्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सती: a virtuous woman
• सती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• उपविशेत्: should sit down
• उपविशेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + विश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• क्वचित्: ever/anywhere
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (domestic dharma within kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a Kāśī home, a woman stands near a threshold and household tools (mortar, pestle, grinding stone), choosing a proper seat-mat instead; the threshold is decorated and kept clean, signaling respect for liminal space.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Pativratā-dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It encodes auspicious etiquette—avoiding inauspicious places/objects for sitting—as a form of mindful purity in daily life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharma instruction; no particular tīrtha is directly praised here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; it gives customary prohibitions (niṣedha) within household discipline.