Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

अपि सर्वनदीतोयैर्मृत्कूटैश्चापि गोमयैः । आपादमाचरच्छौचं भावदुष्टो न शुद्धिभाक्

Transliteration

api sarvanadītoyairmṛtkūṭaiścāpi gomayaiḥ | āpādamācaracchaucaṃ bhāvaduṣṭo na śuddhibhāk

Translation

Selbst wenn man die Reinigung bis zu den Füßen mit dem Wasser aller Flüsse, mit Erdklumpen und sogar mit Kuhdung vollzieht, erlangt derjenige, dessen inneres Wesen verdorben ist, keine wahre Reinheit.

Word by Word

• api: even if
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (even/also)

• sarva-nadī-toyaiḥ: with waters of all rivers
• sarva-nadī-toyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + nadī (प्रातिपदिक) + toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (sarvānāṃ nadīnām toyaiḥ)

• mṛt-kūṭaiḥ: with lumps of earth
• mṛt-kūṭaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛd (प्रातिपदिक) + kūṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (mṛdaḥ kūṭaiḥ = lumps of earth)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (also)

• gomayaiḥ: with cow-dung
• gomayaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gomaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• ā-pādam: up to the feet
• ā-pādam: Desha/Avadhi (Extent/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः; अव्यय (up to the feet)

• ācarat: should practice/perform
• ācarat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु) + ā (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट् (injunctive/imperative sense), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातु: आचर् (ā+car)

• śaucam: purification/cleanliness
• śaucam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śauca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• bhāva-duṣṭaḥ: one whose intention is impure
• bhāva-duṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāva (प्रातिपदिक) + duṣṭa (दुष् धातु + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (bhāvena duṣṭaḥ = corrupted in disposition)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• śuddhi-bhāk: a recipient of purity (i.e., becomes pure)
• śuddhi-bhāk: Karta-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāj (धातु) → bhāk (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः; 'bhāk' = partaker/possessor

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly as Skanda teaching Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī (contextual)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the Ganga ghats, a person performs elaborate washing with river-water, earth, and cow-dung, while a sage points to the heart, indicating that inner impurity blocks true cleansing; the river glows but the figure’s shadow suggests moral stain.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External rites are incomplete without inner integrity; purity is ultimately grounded in intention and character.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks universally within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharma-teaching context, not of one named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references śauca practices using river-water, earth, and cow-dung, while stressing that inner corruption nullifies their spiritual effect.