Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

गुह्यजान्यपि लोमानि तत्स्पर्शादशुचिर्भवेत् । पादधौतोदकं मूत्रमुच्छिष्टान्नोदकानि च

Transliteration

guhyajānyapi lomāni tatsparśādaśucirbhavet | pādadhautodakaṃ mūtramucchiṣṭānnodakāni ca

Translation

即便是私处所生之毛，触之亦令人成为不净；同样不净者，有洗足之水、尿液，以及与残食相连之水。

Word by Word

• गुह्यजानि: genitals and knees
• गुह्यजानि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह्य + जानि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘guhya’ + ‘jānu’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचन (Accusative Plural; dvandva: ‘genitals and knees’)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• लोमानि: body-hairs
• लोमानि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचन (Accusative Plural)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन (Genitive Singular; in compound with स्पर्श)

• स्पर्शात्: from touching
• स्पर्शात्: Apādāna (Source/cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-एकवचन (Ablative Singular)

• अशुचिः: impure
• अशुचिः: Karta (Subject/predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative Singular; predicate)

• भवेत्: would become/should become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg)

• पादधौत: foot-washed
• पादधौत: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाद + धौत (कृदन्त; धाव्/धौ धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative Singular; qualifies उदकम्)

• उदकम्: water
• उदकम्: Karma (Object/list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative Singular; item listed)

• मूत्रम्: urine
• मूत्रम्: Karma (Object/list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative Singular; item listed)

• उच्छिष्ट: leftover/impure
• उच्छिष्ट: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उच्छिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative Singular; in compound with अन्न)

• अन्न: food
• अन्न: Sambandha (Determinative member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative Singular; in compound with उदकानि)

• उदकानि: waters (liquids)
• उदकानि: Karma (Object/list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Nominative Plural; item listed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/dvijas addressed through the Kāśī-dharma instruction

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī pilgrim carefully pours foot-wash water away from the worship area, keeps separate vessels for clean water, and performs ācamana; the ghat steps and a small shrine indicate the sacred setting.

Characters & Entities

• Śauca (purity rules)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer cleanliness supports inner discipline; a pilgrim should recognize sources of impurity and maintain careful conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is the implied sacred field where such discipline is taught as part of living the city’s dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Identification of aśauca sources—contact with private-part hair, foot-wash water, urine, and water linked to leftover food—implying the need for cleansing before ritual acts.