Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

हरिनामाक्षरमुखं भाले गोपीमृदांकितम् । तुलसीमालितोरस्कं स्पृशेयुर्नयमानुगाः

Transliteration

harināmākṣaramukhaṃ bhāle gopīmṛdāṃkitam | tulasīmālitoraskaṃ spṛśeyurnayamānugāḥ

Translation

ਜਿਸ ਦੇ ਮੁਖ ਉੱਤੇ ਹਰਿ-ਨਾਮ ਦੇ ਅੱਖਰ ਵੱਸਦੇ ਹਨ, ਮੱਥੇ ਉੱਤੇ ਗੋਪੀ-ਚੰਦਨ ਦਾ ਤਿਲਕ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਛਾਤੀ ਉੱਤੇ ਤੁਲਸੀ ਦੀ ਮਾਲਾ ਸਜੀ ਹੈ—ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਯਮ ਦੇ ਅਨੁਚਰ ਛੂਹਣ ਦੀ ਹਿੰਮਤ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰਦੇ।

Word by Word

• हरिनामाक्षरमुखम्: having the syllables of Hari’s name on the mouth/face
• हरिनामाक्षरमुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरि + नाम + अक्षर + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (हरिनाम-अक्षर-मुखम् = ‘whose face/mouth bears the syllables of Hari’s name’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘(तम्)’ इति कर्मपदम् (implicit)

• भाले: on the forehead
• भाले: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• गोपीमृदा-अङ्कितम्: marked with Gopī-mud (sacred clay)
• गोपीमृदा-अङ्कितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोपीमृदा + अङ्कित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √अङ्क्/अङ्कय्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गोपीमृदया अङ्कितम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपदस्य विशेषणम्

• तुलसीमालितोरस्कम्: with chest adorned by tulasī garland
• तुलसीमालितोरस्कम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुलसी + मालित + उरस् (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; √माल्/मालि ‘to garland’)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तुलसीया मालितम् उरस्कम् = ‘chest garlanded with tulasī’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपदस्य विशेषणम्

• स्पृशेयुः: should touch
• स्पृशेयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• नयमानुगाः: followers/attendants of Yama
• नयमानुगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नयम (यम) + अनुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (यमस्य अनुगाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hari-nāma, gopī-candana, tulasī-mālā as ‘portable tīrtha’ signs

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Vaiṣṇava devotee: lips softly uttering Hari-nāma, forehead bright with gopī-candana ūrdhva-puṇḍra, tulasī garland across the chest; Yama’s attendants recoil, hands raised, unable to touch.

Characters & Entities

• Hari-nāma
• Gopī-candana (gopīmṛdā)
• Tulasī-mālā
• Yama (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hari-nāma, Vaiṣṇava tilaka, and Tulasī-mālā together signify surrendered devotion that overcomes fear of death and judgment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tirtha is named; the teaching is a general Vaiṣṇava-bhakti instruction embedded in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Chanting Hari’s name, applying gopī-candana tilaka on the forehead, and wearing a Tulasī garland.