Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

निस्पृहाः सोमपा ये वै द्विजपादोदपाश्च ये । मृताः सारस्वते तीर्थे द्विजशुश्रूषकाश्च ये

Transliteration

nispṛhāḥ somapā ye vai dvijapādodapāśca ye | mṛtāḥ sārasvate tīrthe dvijaśuśrūṣakāśca ye

Translation

Die Begehrlosen; die im Yajña Soma getrunken haben; die das Wasser tranken, das die Füße eines Brāhmaṇa wusch; die am Tīrtha der Sarasvatī starben; und die den Zweimalgeborenen dienen — solche Menschen werden besonders hoch geschätzt.

Word by Word

• निस्पृहाः: desireless
• निस्पृहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःस्पृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• सोमपाः: Soma-drinkers
• सोमपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक) + पा (धातु) → सोमप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सोमं पिबन्ति इति)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Modifier (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• द्विज-पाद-उदपाः: those who take water from the feet of Brahmins
• द्विज-पाद-उदपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + उदप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (द्विजपादोदकं पिबन्ति/सेवन्ते इति; उदप = उदक-सम्बद्ध)

• च: and
• च: Connector (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• मृताः: having died
• मृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) → मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; कृदन्तः—क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• सारस्वते: in the Sarasvatī-related
• सारस्वते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (तीर्थे इति विशेषण)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• द्विज-शुश्रूषकाः: servants/attendants of Brahmins
• द्विज-शुश्रूषकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + शुश्रूषक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (द्विजानां शुश्रूषकाः)

• च: and
• च: Connector (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sārasvata Tīrtha (Sarasvatī)

Type: river-tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame; not explicit in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence-like tableau: a soma-yajña with priests; a devotee receiving brāhmaṇa-pādodaka; a humble attendant serving a learned brāhmaṇa; and a serene passing at a Sarasvatī riverbank tīrtha under a sacred tree.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Sarasvatī Tīrtha
• Dvija
• Pāda-udaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity of desirelessness, reverence for the learned, and sacred death at a tīrtha are all praised as powerful sources of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sārasvata Tīrtha (the sacred ford associated with Sarasvatī) is explicitly mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Participation in Soma-sacrifice, reverential use of pāda-udaka, service to dvijas, and the sanctity of dying at a tīrtha.