Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

ज्वरापस्मारविस्फोटद्वितीयकचतुर्थकाः । सर्वे प्रशममायांति शिवर्तार्थजलेक्षणात्

Transliteration

jvarāpasmāravisphoṭadvitīyakacaturthakāḥ | sarve praśamamāyāṃti śivartārthajalekṣaṇāt

Translation

Fieber, Epilepsie, ausschlagartige Leiden und die wiederkehrenden Fieber des zweiten und vierten Tages — all dies legt sich beim Anblick der Wasser von Śivartārtha.

Word by Word

• ज्वर-अपस्मार-विस्फोट-द्वितीयक-चतुर्थकाः: fever, epilepsy, eruptions, tertian and quartan fevers
• ज्वर-अपस्मार-विस्फोट-द्वितीयक-चतुर्थकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वर + अपस्मार + विस्फोट + द्वितीयक + चतुर्थक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (रोगनामानि)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रशमम्: calmness/cessation
• प्रशमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रशम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• आयान्ति: come/attain
• आयान्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• शिव-ऋत-अर्थ-जल-ईक्षणात्: from seeing the water of Śivartārtha
• शिव-ऋत-अर्थ-जल-ईक्षणात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + ऋत + अर्थ + जल + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; समासः बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; ‘ईक्षण’ = दर्शन/अवलोकन (seeing)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śivartārtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sufferers with fever and seizures approach the ghat; as they gaze upon the shimmering water, their faces relax, heat-haze dissipates, and a cool, moonlike sheen spreads from the tirtha.

Characters & Entities

• Śivartārtha
• Jvara
• Apasmāra
• Visphoṭa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In the Purāṇic vision, sacred waters are not merely symbolic—they are channels of Śiva’s grace that restore balance and peace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śivartārtha tīrtha (its waters), within the Jñānoda tīrtha narrative of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jalekṣaṇa—beholding the tīrtha water (and implicitly approaching it with faith).