Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

पाणिपृष्ठं पाणितलं रेखांगुष्ठांगुली नखाः । पृष्ठिः कृकाटिका कंठे चिबुकं च हनुद्वयम्

Transliteration

pāṇipṛṣṭhaṃ pāṇitalaṃ rekhāṃguṣṭhāṃgulī nakhāḥ | pṛṣṭhiḥ kṛkāṭikā kaṃṭhe cibukaṃ ca hanudvayam

Translation

当观手背、掌心及其纹理，拇指、诸指与指甲；又观颈后、项背、咽喉、下颏，以及两颌。

Word by Word

• pāṇi-pṛṣṭham: back of the hand
• pāṇi-pṛṣṭham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (back of the hand)

• pāṇi-talam: palm
• pāṇi-talam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (palm)

• rekhā-aṅguṣṭha-aṅgulī: lines, thumb, and fingers
• rekhā-aṅguṣṭha-aṅgulī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rekhā (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅguṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅgulī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनार्थे; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (lines, thumb, and fingers)

• nakhāḥ: nails
• nakhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• pṛṣṭhiḥ: back (spine)
• pṛṣṭhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛṣṭhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• kṛkāṭikā: nape/occiput (neck-joint)
• kṛkāṭikā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛkāṭikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• kaṃṭhe: in the throat/neck
• kaṃṭhe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṃṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• cibukam: chin
• cibukam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cibuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction/समुच्चयबोधक)

• hanu-dvayam: the pair of jaws
• hanu-dvayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hanu (प्रातिपदिक) + dvi (संख्या)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (two jaws)

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni/ṛṣi

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching tableau focusing on palms with visible line patterns (rekhā), then a gentle shift to the neck and throat region—suggesting the linkage of karma (hands) and vāk (throat).

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It models structured learning—moving from outer signs (hands) toward higher regions (neck and face), suggesting graded understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No individual tīrtha is named; the verse is part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s instructional material.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.