Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अहो तदंगसंगीनि त्यक्त्वा जाड्यं जलान्यपि । रसवंति पदस्थानि स्फुरंत्यन्यत्र तद्भयात्

Transliteration

aho tadaṃgasaṃgīni tyaktvā jāḍyaṃ jalānyapi | rasavaṃti padasthāni sphuraṃtyanyatra tadbhayāt

Translation

O weh! Selbst die Wasser, die durch das Haften an seinen Gliedern stumpf geworden waren, warfen ihre Schwere ab; die Stätten, auf denen seine Füße standen, wurden voll Saft und Lebenskraft, und aus Furcht vor der Macht seiner Askese bebten die Strömungen und wichen anderswohin.

Word by Word

• अहो: oh! alas!/indeed
• अहो: Sambodhana/Discourse marker (उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार/विस्मयार्थक-अव्यय (interjection/exclamation)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular); विशेषणरूपेण

• अङ्ग-सङ्गीनि: having bodily contact
• अङ्ग-सङ्गीनि: Visheshana (qualifier of following noun/implicit subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter, nom/acc plural); तद्-विशेषणम्; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अङ्गस्य सङ्गीनि = having contact with the body/limbs)

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having abandoned’

• जाड्यम्: dullness, inertia
• जाड्यम्: Karma (object of त्यक्त्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाड्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• जलानि: waters
• जलानि: Karma (object, with अपि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter, accusative plural)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• रसवन्ति: full of taste/essence
• रसवन्ति: Visheshana (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रसवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter, nom/acc plural); विशेषणम्

• पदस्थानि: word-positions/places of feet (in verse)
• पदस्थानि: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (neuter, nominative plural); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पदानां स्थानानि = places/positions of words/feet)

• स्फुरन्ति: throb/flash/appear vividly
• स्फुरन्ति: Kriya (main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्फुर् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (present indicative, 3rd person plural)

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: elsewhere)

• तद्-भयात्: from fear of that
• तद्-भयात्: Apadana (ablative: cause/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (neuter, ablative singular); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य भयात् = from fear of that)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm: Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (implied ghat/river setting)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A great ascetic stands near sacred waters; the water around his limbs brightens and becomes lively; currents recoil and shift as if in reverent fear; footprints glow, making the ground appear verdant and ‘sap-filled.’

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Tapas (austerity)
• Waters (Jala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas transforms even inert nature; steadfast devotion radiates a power that purifies and reorders the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī-kṣetra (Varanasi) setting of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where spiritual practice is portrayed as exceptionally potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse highlights the efficacy of austerity (tapas) and single-pointed discipline.