Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

प्रक्षाल्य चेतसो त्यंतं चांचल्याख्यं महामलम् । भावनावार्भि रसकृदिंद्रियैः सहितस्य च

Transliteration

prakṣālya cetaso tyaṃtaṃ cāṃcalyākhyaṃ mahāmalam | bhāvanāvārbhi rasakṛdiṃdriyaiḥ sahitasya ca

Translation

لمّا غسل من ذهنه تمامًا الدنس العظيم المسمّى بالاضطراب، وكبح الحواسّ التي تُولِّد التلذّذ بالموضوعات، مضى مستندًا إلى مياه التأمّل.

Word by Word

• प्रक्षाल्य: having washed away
• प्रक्षाल्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• चेतसः: of the mind
• चेतसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• अत्यन्तम्: completely; utterly
• अत्यन्तम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्यन्तम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/तीव्रतावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (intensifier)

• चाञ्चल्य-आख्यम्: called 'restlessness'
• चाञ्चल्य-आख्यम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चाञ्चल्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to महामलम्)

• महामलम्: the great impurity
• महामलम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भावना-वार्भिः: with the waters of contemplation
• भावना-वार्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भावना (प्रातिपदिक) + वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• रसकृत्-इन्द्रियैः: with the sense-organs that produce taste/pleasure
• रसकृत्-इन्द्रियैः: Sahakarana (Accompaniment/सहकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रसकृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सहितस्य: of (one) accompanied/associated
• सहितस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (कृदन्त, √सह्/√सह् 'to accompany' in sense 'joined')
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेषण (to an implied noun like 'जनस्य/योगिनः')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (inner tīrtha of citta-śuddhi, contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An inner-ritual tableau: the devotee sits in meditation, a subtle stream or aura of ‘bhāvanā-water’ washing the mind; senses depicted as subdued animals or fading distractions; Śiva’s presence felt as calm radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Śukra
• Śiva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual success requires inner purification—restlessness and sense-driven cravings must be cleansed through disciplined contemplation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, as the sacred arena where both outer worship and inner yogic purification are portrayed as integral to Śiva-bhakti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerity framed as inner niyama: cleansing mental fickleness and restraining the senses through bhāvanā (meditative practice).