Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

हरिनामाक्षरमुखं भाले गोपीमृदांकितम् । तुलसीमालितोरस्कं स्पृशेयुर्नयमानुगाः

Transliteration

harināmākṣaramukhaṃ bhāle gopīmṛdāṃkitam | tulasīmālitoraskaṃ spṛśeyurnayamānugāḥ

Translation

جس کے لبوں پر ہری نام کے اَکشر ہوں، پیشانی پر گوپی چندن کا تلک ہو، اور سینہ تلسی کی مالا سے آراستہ ہو—ایسے بھکت کو یم کے پیروکار چھونے کی جرأت نہیں کرتے۔

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.