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Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

गोब्राह्मणाग्नीनुच्छिष्ट पाणिना नैव संस्पृशेत् । न स्पृशेदनिमित्ते नखानि स्वानि त्वनातुरः

Transliteration

gobrāhmaṇāgnīnucchiṣṭa pāṇinā naiva saṃspṛśet | na spṛśedanimitte nakhāni svāni tvanāturaḥ

Translation

以沾染残食之不净之手，切莫触碰母牛、婆罗门或圣火；无正当缘由，健康之人亦不应触弄、剔掐自己的指甲。

Word by Word
गोcow
गो:
Karma (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootगो (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative Singular; used as first member in compound)
ब्राह्मणBrahmin
ब्राह्मण:
Karma (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative Singular; used as member in compound)
अग्नीन्fires
अग्नीन्:
Karma (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootअग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचन (Accusative Plural)
उच्छिष्टimpure (from leftovers)
उच्छिष्ट:
Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
TypeAdjective
Rootउच्छिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative Singular; used adverbially/qualifying the hand: ‘with unclean/leftover [food]’)
पाणिनाwith the hand
पाणिना:
Karaṇa (Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootपाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-एकवचन (Instrumental Singular)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)
एवindeed/at all
एव:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)
संस्पृशेत्should touch
संस्पृशेत्:
Kriya (Action)
TypeVerb
Rootसम्+स्पृश् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)
स्पृशेत्should touch
स्पृशेत्:
Kriya (Action)
TypeVerb
Rootस्पृश् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg)
अनिमित्तेwithout cause/without reason
अनिमित्ते:
Adhikaraṇa (Location/circumstance)
TypeNoun
Rootअनिमित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचन (Locative Singular)
नखानिnails
नखानि:
Karma (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootनख (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचन (Accusative Plural)
स्वानिone’s own
स्वानि:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचन (Accusative Plural; agrees with नखानि)
तुbut/indeed
तु:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formविरोध/अन्वयार्थक-अव्यय (contrastive particle)
अनातुरःone who is not ill
अनातुरः:
Karta (Subject)
TypeAdjective
Rootअनातुर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative Singular; predicate/subject qualifier)
Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī washes hands after eating, keeping distance from a cow, a brāhmaṇa, and a small sacred fire altar; the city’s ghats and temples appear in the background, emphasizing disciplined conduct.

Characters & Entities
G
Go (Cow)
B
Brāhmaṇa
A
Agni (sacred fire)

FAQs

Purity of body and restraint in habits protect sacred relationships—especially toward the cow, the brāhmaṇa, and the fire that sustains ritual life.

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), where correct conduct and purity are presented as integral to receiving the city’s spiritual merit.

A śauca rule: do not touch revered beings or the ritual fire with an impure (ucchiṣṭa) hand; also avoid unnecessary grooming actions like touching nails without need.

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