Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

न तिष्ठन्नाप्सु नो विप्र गो वह्न्यनिल संमुखः । न फालकृष्टे भूभागे न रथ्यासेव्यभूतले

Transliteration

na tiṣṭhannāpsu no vipra go vahnyanila saṃmukhaḥ | na phālakṛṣṭe bhūbhāge na rathyāsevyabhūtale

Translation

Hỡi brāhmaṇa, chớ làm như vậy khi đang đứng trong nước; cũng chớ quay mặt về phía bò, lửa hay hướng gió. Chớ làm trên đất vừa mới cày xới, cũng chớ làm trên đường sá hay nơi người qua lại đông đúc.

Word by Word

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

• तिष्ठन्: standing
• तिष्ठन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अप्सु: in water
• अप्सु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• न: nor/not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• उ: indeed/at all (particle)
• उ: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (अव्यय)
• Form: पादपूरण/अनुनासिक-निपात (emphatic particle; often with न)

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• गो: toward cows/cow-side (direction)
• गो: Kriya-vishesana (Directional/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (प्रायः), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; दिशाबोधक-विशेषणरूपेण (गव्यम्/गोपक्षः)

• वह्नि: toward fire
• वह्नि: Kriya-vishesana (Directional/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; दिशाबोधक-विशेषणरूपेण

• अनिल: toward wind
• अनिल: Kriya-vishesana (Directional/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; दिशाबोधक-विशेषणरूपेण

• संमुखः: facing (towards)
• संमुखः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

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

• फाल-कृष्टे: in ploughed (land)
• फाल-कृष्टे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फाल (प्रातिपदिक) + कृष् (धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘कृष्ट’ (ploughed)

• भू-भागे: on a piece of ground
• भू-भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

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

• रथ्या-सेव्य-भूतले: on ground frequented/used as a street
• रथ्या-सेव्य-भूतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ्या (प्रातिपदिक) + सेव्य (सेव् धातु, यत्-प्रत्यय) + भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; ‘रथ्यया सेव्यम्’ इति सेव्य (fit to be used/visited)

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vipra (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-like figure gestures ‘no’ as a pilgrim considers improper places: water’s edge, a cow nearby, a sacred fire, a windy open field, a freshly ploughed furrow, and a busy road—each shown as a small cautionary vignette.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa (Vipra)
• Cow
• Fire
• Wind
• Roadway

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is tied to reverence: avoid disrespecting sacred elements (cow, fire) and avoid contaminating shared or cultivated spaces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is cited; the verse gives general dharmic prohibitions within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not perform the act in water, facing cow/fire/wind, on freshly ploughed land, or on roads and commonly used ground.