Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

उपग्रही बद्धशिखो जलमध्ये समाविशेत् । उरुं हीति मंत्रेण तोयमावर्त्य सृष्टितः

Transliteration

upagrahī baddhaśikho jalamadhye samāviśet | uruṃ hīti maṃtreṇa toyamāvartya sṛṣṭitaḥ

Translation

Mit ordentlich angelegtem Obergewand und gebundenem Haar soll man in die Mitte der Strömung treten; mit dem Mantra «uruṃ hīti» soll man das Wasser nach der Vorschrift rituell aufwühlen und wenden.

Word by Word

• उपग्रही: holding (the cloth/upper garment) / with upper garment held
• उपग्रही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + ग्रह् (धातु) → उपग्राहिन्/उपग्रही (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (कर्तरि)

• बद्धशिखः: with hair-tuft tied
• बद्धशिखः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + शिखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (बद्धा शिखा यस्य)

• जलमध्ये: in the middle of the water
• जलमध्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (जलस्य मध्ये)

• समाविशेत्: should enter
• समाविशेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + विश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• उरुम्: the thigh (lit. broad part)
• उरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/causal particle)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• आवर्त्य: having swirled/turned
• आवर्त्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष (absolutive): अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया (having stirred/turned around)

• सृष्टितः: as prescribed (by the act of release)
• सृष्टितः: Adhikaraṇa/Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): पञ्चमी-अर्थे (according to the prescribed emission/letting go; from the act of release)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-snāna in Kāśī (midstream immersion)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kalaśodbhava (Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands waist-deep to midstream, hair tied in a topknot, upper cloth secured; hands move the water in a ritual circular motion while silently reciting ‘uruṃ hīti’; the river reflects sunrise.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual bathing is sanctified through bodily discipline and mantra, aligning action with sacred intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa context implies the sacred waters of Kāśī (not explicitly named in the verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Enter the water properly prepared (hair tied, cloth arranged) and perform the act accompanied by a designated mantra.