Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

नग्नः स्यान्मलवद्वासा नग्नः कौपीनवस्त्रधृक् । द्विकच्छोऽनुत्तरीयश्च विकच्छोऽवस्त्र एव च

Transliteration

nagnaḥ syānmalavadvāsā nagnaḥ kaupīnavastradhṛk | dvikaccho'nuttarīyaśca vikaccho'vastra eva ca

Translation

若身着污秽之衣，亦被视为“裸”；同样，仅系兜裆布（kaupīna）者亦称“裸”。又如仅以双褶之布而无上衣者、衣布松散不整者，以及全无衣者，皆名为“裸”。

Word by Word

• नग्नः: naked
• नग्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नग्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person singular optative)

• मलवत्: dirty, soiled
• मलवत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मलवत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• वासा: one wearing (a garment); clothed person
• वासा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• नग्नः: naked
• नग्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नग्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• कौपीन-वस्त्र-धृक्: wearer of a loincloth
• कौपीन-वस्त्र-धृक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौपीन (प्रातिपदिक) + वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + धृक्/धृ (धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः (षष्ठी/उपपद-तत्पुरुषः) ‘कौपीनवस्त्रं धत्ते’ (Masculine, Nominative singular; one who wears a loincloth)

• द्विकच्छः: having two kaccchas (two-tucked garment)
• द्विकच्छः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक) + कच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (Masculine, Nominative singular; having two flaps/tucks)

• अनुत्तरीयः: without an upper cloth
• अनुत्तरीयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तरीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; without upper garment)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विकच्छः: with loosened/untucked garment
• विकच्छः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• अवस्त्रः: without clothes
• अवस्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; without clothing)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Unknown (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narration; ācāra guidance on dress and decorum)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A temple threshold scene: attendants gently stop a pilgrim in filthy clothes and another in only a loincloth; a third with a properly draped cloth is allowed in; a placard-like dharma teaching is implied.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External cleanliness and proper attire are treated as supports for inner discipline and ritual propriety.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction appears within Prabhāsa Kṣetra’s māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Guidelines defining improper dress—especially for ritual settings—by classifying certain clothing states as equivalent to nakedness.