Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

गणावूचतुः । शिवशर्मन्महाप्राज्ञ परिशुद्धेंद्रियेश्वर । सुतीर्थक्षालिताशेषजन्मजातमहामल

Transliteration

gaṇāvūcatuḥ | śivaśarmanmahāprājña pariśuddheṃdriyeśvara | sutīrthakṣālitāśeṣajanmajātamahāmala

Translation

গণেরা বলল—হে শিবশর্মন, মহাপ্রাজ্ঞ, পরিশুদ্ধ ইন্দ্রিয়ের অধীশ্বর! উত্তম তীর্থসমূহ তোমার অসংখ্য জন্মজাত সমস্ত মহামল ধুয়ে দিয়েছে।

Word by Word

• गणौ: the two attendants (gaṇas)
• गणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• ऊचतुः: said (the two said)
• ऊचतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपद

• शिवशर्मन्: O Śivaśarman
• शिवशर्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवशर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• महाप्राज्ञ: O very wise one
• महाप्राज्ञ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् प्राज्ञः)

• परिशुद्ध: O completely pure
• परिशुद्ध: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; विशेषण

• इन्द्रियेश्वर: O lord of the senses
• इन्द्रियेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (इन्द्रियाणाम् ईश्वरः)

• सुतीर्थ: holy ford; sacred place
• सुतीर्थ: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग); समासः—कर्मधारय (सुन्दरं तीर्थम्)

• क्षालित: cleansed
• क्षालित: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षल् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (washed/cleansed)

• अशेष: entire; without remainder
• अशेष: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग); विशेषण (समस्त)

• जन्मजात: born from birth; innate
• जन्मजात: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्म + जात (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग); समासः—तत्पुरुष (जन्मना जातम्)

• महामल: O (one whose) great impurity (is removed) / O one (freed from) great stain
• महामल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + मल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् मलः)

Speaker

Gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-tīrthas (collective su-tīrtha)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śivaśarman

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Gaṇas respectfully praise Śivaśarman as a purified, sense-mastered sage whose birth-accumulated impurities have been washed away by holy waters; imagery of bathing at a ghat with luminous water and subtle aura of purity.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇas
• Śivaśarman
• Tīrthas (holy places)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and contact with sacred tīrthas, joined with inner restraint, are portrayed as cleansing deep karmic impurities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrthas in general (su-tīrtha), within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa pilgrimage ethos.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied tīrtha-sevā such as tīrtha-snān (bathing at holy places) as a purifier.