Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

एकैकां पादयोर्दद्यात्तिस्रः पाण्योर्मृदस्तथा । इत्थं शौचं गृही कुर्याद्गंधलेपक्षयावधि

Transliteration

ekaikāṃ pādayordadyāttisraḥ pāṇyormṛdastathā | itthaṃ śaucaṃ gṛhī kuryādgaṃdhalepakṣayāvadhi

Translation

Man gebe je eine Portion auf jeden Fuß und ebenso drei Portionen auf die Hände. So soll der Haushälter die Reinigung vollziehen, bis Geruch und Anhaftung gänzlich verschwunden sind.

Word by Word

• एकैकाम्: one each
• एकैकाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; द्विगु/पुनरुक्त-समास (‘one each’)

• पादयोः: on the two feet
• पादयोः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध) / सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), द्विवचन; अत्र अधिकरणार्थे (on the two feet)

• दद्यात्: should apply/give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विध्यर्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तिस्रः: three
• तिस्रः: Karta (Count/subject of ellipsis)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• पाण्योः: on the two hands
• पाण्योः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी, द्विवचन; अत्र अधिकरणार्थे (on the two hands)

• मृदः: (applications of) clay
• मृदः: Karta (Count/subject of ellipsis)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thus/in this manner)

• शौचम्: cleansing/purification
• शौचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• गृही: a householder
• गृही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण (of implied subject: ‘householder’)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विध्यर्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• गन्धलेपक्षयावधि: until the smell and coating are removed
• गन्धलेपक्षयावधि: Sambandha (Limit/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + लेप (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक) + अवधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययप्रयोग (up to the limit of...)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder completes purification, washing hands and feet near a small water vessel; the focus is on cleanliness and readiness, with a subtle path leading toward a ghat/temple in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Householder (Gṛhī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is outcome-based as well as rule-based—cleansing continues until impurity is truly removed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the instruction supports dharmic living in the Kāśī milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Apply one portion of earth to each foot and three to the hands; perform śauca until odor and smear disappear.