Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

मुंजाभावे विधातव्या कुशाश्मंतकबल्वजैः । ग्रंथिनैकेन संयुक्ता त्रिभिः पंचभिरेव वा

Transliteration

muṃjābhāve vidhātavyā kuśāśmaṃtakabalvajaiḥ | graṃthinaikena saṃyuktā tribhiḥ paṃcabhireva vā

Translation

ముంజ లభించకపోతే కుశ, అశ్మంతక లేదా బల్వజ తంతువులతో మేఖల చేయాలి—ఒకటి, మూడు లేదా ఐదు గ్రంథులు (ముడులు) కలిపి.

Word by Word

• muṃja-abhāve: in the absence of muñja-grass
• muṃja-abhāve: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muṃja (प्रातिपदिक) + abhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘in the absence of muñja’

• vidhātavyā: should be made
• vidhātavyā: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√dhā (धा) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive): ‘to be made/arranged’

• kuśa-aśmaṃtaka-balvajaiḥ: with kuśa, aśmaṃtaka, and balvaja (materials)
• kuśa-aśmaṃtaka-balvajaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśa (प्रातिपदिक) + aśmaṃtaka (प्रातिपदिक) + balvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व (समाहार/इतरेतर): ‘with kuśa, aśmaṃtaka, and balvaja (fibres)’

• graṃthinā: with a knot
• graṃthinā: Karana (Specification/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: graṃthin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण: ‘with a knot’ (knotted)

• ekena: with one (knot)
• ekena: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• saṃyuktā: joined; combined
• saṃyuktā: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-√yuj (युज्) क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त: ‘joined/combined’

• tribhiḥ: with three (knots/strands)
• tribhiḥ: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• paṃcabhiḥ: with five (knots/strands)
• paṃcabhiḥ: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• eva: indeed; only
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): restriction/emphasis ‘only/indeed’

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (disjunctive particle): ‘or’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame; not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A craftsman/ācārya preparing a mekhalā from kuśa/aśmantaka/balvaja fibres, tying one, three, or five knots; bundles of grasses and fibres are laid out on a mat.

Characters & Entities

• Muñja
• Kuśa
• Aśmantaka
• Balvaja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practical: when ideal materials are unavailable, sanctioned alternatives preserve the rite’s intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is instructional within Kāśī Khaṇḍa and does not name a particular tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes alternative fibres for the mekhalā and specifies permissible knot counts (1, 3, or 5).