Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

घंटागुडुककुंभादि स्नानोपस्करभाजनैः । श्वेतैर्मार्जनवस्त्रैश्च सुगंधैर्यक्षकर्दमैः

Transliteration

ghaṃṭāguḍukakuṃbhādi snānopaskarabhājanaiḥ | śvetairmārjanavastraiśca sugaṃdhairyakṣakardamaiḥ

Translation

Mit Gefäßen und Geräten zum Bad—Glocken, kleinen Wasserkrügen, Kannen und dergleichen—; mit weißen Tüchern zur Reinigung; und mit duftenden Salben und wohlriechenden Pasten—(so wird der Tempel in Kāśī für reine und geziemende Verehrung bereitet).

Word by Word

• घण्टा: bell
• घण्टा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घण्टा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular) — समाहार-निर्देशे सूची-प्रारम्भ (list item)

• गुडुक: water-pot/ewer (guḍuka)
• गुडुक: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुडुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular) — सूची-शब्द

• कुम्भ: pitcher/pot
• कुम्भ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular) — सूची-शब्द

• आदि: and so on
• आदि: Sambandha (Appender/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, ‘इत्यादि’ अर्थे (indeclinable: etc.)

• स्नानोपस्करभाजनैः: by vessels/utensils for bathing implements
• स्नानोपस्करभाजनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान-उपस्कर-भाजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural); स्नानस्य उपस्कराणि (implements) तेषां भाजनानि (vessels) इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (nested)

• श्वेतैः: with white
• श्वेतैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Masc/Neut, Instrumental, Plural); विशेषण—वस्त्रैः इत्यस्य (white)

• मार्जनवस्त्रैः: by cleaning cloths
• मार्जनवस्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्जन-वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural); मार्जनस्य वस्त्राणि इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक निपात (Conjunction)

• सुगन्धैः: by fragrances/perfumes
• सुगन्धैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुगन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• यक्षकर्दमैः: by yakṣa-paste (a fragrant unguent)
• यक्षकर्दमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष-कर्दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural); यक्षस्य कर्दमः (a kind of fragrant paste) इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Temple attendants prepare for worship: brass bells and water-pots arranged neatly; pitchers filled for abhiṣeka; white cloths used to wipe the sanctum; fragrant pastes and unguents laid out on trays, ready for application after bathing rites.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• snāna-upaskara (bathing implements)
• ghaṇṭā (bell)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity and reverence are expressed by providing the concrete tools of cleanliness and abhiṣeka for temple worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s temples, where well-provisioned bathing and cleansing rites are integral to daily worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of snāna vessels and accessories, white cleansing cloths, and fragrant pastes/unguents for temple rites.