Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

अतितापपरीतांगी ताः सखीः प्रत्यभाषत । एतस्यास्तापशांत्यर्थं जानेहं परमौषधम्

Transliteration

atitāpaparītāṃgī tāḥ sakhīḥ pratyabhāṣata | etasyāstāpaśāṃtyarthaṃ jānehaṃ paramauṣadham

Translation

وقد غلبها لهيبُ الحرّ، فخاطبت صواحبَها: «لتهدئة هذا الاحتراق المؤلم، أعلمُ هنا الدواءَ الأسمى».

Word by Word

• अतितापपरीताङ्गी: whose limbs were overcome by excessive heat
• अतितापपरीताङ्गी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति-ताप-परित-अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक; अति + ताप + परित(=परीत) + अङ्गी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्—(सा)

• ताः: to them
• ताः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) बहुवचनम्

• सखीः: (her) friends
• सखीः: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) बहुवचनम्; सम्बोधनार्थे अपि प्रयोगः सम्भवः

• प्रत्यभाषत: spoke to/said
• प्रत्यभाषत: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/भूत) आत्मनेपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd) एकवचनम्; उपसर्गः ‘प्रति’

• एतस्याः: of this (woman)
• एतस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) एकवचनम्

• तापशान्त्यर्थम्: for the pacification of (her) heat
• तापशान्त्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताप-शान्ति-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; ताप + शान्ति + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्; प्रयोजन (for the purpose of)

• जाने: I know
• जाने: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान) आत्मनेपदम्; उत्तमपुरुषः (1st) एकवचनम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• परमौषधम्: the supreme medicine
• परमौषधम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-औषध (प्रातिपदिक; परम + औषध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्

Speaker

Buddhi-śarīriṇī (the wise woman, from prior verse; within Skanda’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra) (implicit)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience; within scene: sakhīs (friends)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A heat-stricken woman, still weak, turns to her friends and speaks with urgency yet confidence; attendants pause, listening, as the moment shifts from nursing to revelation of a ‘supreme remedy’.

Characters & Entities

• sakhīḥ (friends/companions)
• paramauṣadha (supreme remedy)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Alongside physical care, the tradition emphasizes knowing the ‘highest remedy’—a deeper cure that restores inner peace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-khaṇḍa context suggests Kāśī’s sacred milieu, but this verse itself does not name a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Only the intention to apply a ‘supreme remedy’ is stated; the specific rite or medicine is not yet described in this verse.