Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

अंगानि वेपथुं प्रापुः स्विन्ना भालस्थली भृशम् । हर्षवाष्पांबुकलिले जाते तस्या विलोचने

Transliteration

aṃgāni vepathuṃ prāpuḥ svinnā bhālasthalī bhṛśam | harṣavāṣpāṃbukalile jāte tasyā vilocane

Translation

তাইৰ অঙ্গ-প্ৰত্যঙ্গ কঁপিবলৈ ধৰিলে, কপালভাগ অতিশয় ঘামে ভিজি উঠিল; আৰু আনন্দাশ্ৰুৰ জলে মিশি চকু দুটা ধোঁৱাটে হৈ পৰিল।

Word by Word

• अङ्गानि: limbs
• अङ्गानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वेपथुम्: trembling
• वेपथुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेपथु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रापुः: attained, came to
• प्रापुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• स्विन्ना: perspired
• स्विन्ना: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्विद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘sweated’

• भालस्थली: the forehead-surface
• भालस्थली: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाल + स्थली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भालस्य स्थली)

• भृशम्: greatly, intensely
• भृशम्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/तीव्रतावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (intensifier)

• हर्षवाष्पाम्बुकलिले: in (eyes) filled with joyful tears and moisture
• हर्षवाष्पाम्बुकलिले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हर्ष + वाष्प + अम्बु + कलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (हर्षवाष्पाम्बुभिः कलिले = turbid/filled with tears of joy and water)

• जाते: when (they) became
• जाते: Sati-saptami (सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, द्विवचन; ‘when (the two) had become’ (locative absolute with विलोचने)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• विलोचने: in the two eyes
• विलोचने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, द्विवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñānavāpī

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kalāvatī stands near the sacred well, overcome: limbs trembling, forehead beaded with sweat, eyes brimming and clouded with joyful tears—her face lit by devotion as the well’s sanctity presses upon her senses.

Characters & Entities

• Kalāvatī (implied)
• Jñānavāpī (context)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True contact with a holy place can kindle sāttvika-bhāvas—natural bodily signs of devotion and inner purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñānavāpī (by immediate narrative context), where the devotee’s ecstatic response unfolds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes devotional symptoms rather than prescribing a practice.