Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

मुदे कौमोदकी स्पर्शस्तथा न मम जायते धूतपापांबु संपर्को यथा भवति सर्वथा

Transliteration

mude kaumodakī sparśastathā na mama jāyate dhūtapāpāṃbu saṃparko yathā bhavati sarvathā

Translation

Selbst die Berührung der Kaumodakī, meines Streitkolbens, so wonnig sie auch ist, schenkt mir nicht solche Freude wie der Kontakt—auf jede Weise—mit den Wassern der Dhūtapāpā.

Word by Word

• मुदे: for joy/for delight
• मुदे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• कौमोदकी: Kaumodakī (named)
• कौमोदकी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौमोदकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्पर्शः इत्यस्य)

• स्पर्शः: touch/contact
• स्पर्शः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (thus/in that way)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• मम: of me/my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• जायते: arises/occurs
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• धूतपापाम्बु: sin-washing water
• धूतपापाम्बु: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (धूतानि पापानि येन तत् अम्बु)

• सम्पर्कः: contact/association
• सम्पर्कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + √स्पृश् (धातु) → सम्पर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सर्वथा: in every way
• सर्वथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वथा (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (in every way/entirely)

Speaker

Skanda (narrator); praise voiced in the narrative by Viṣṇu (contextually continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhūtapāpā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vaikuṇṭha (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotional close-up: the Lord’s mace Kaumodakī is present but secondary; the focal point is the Lord (or devotee) touching Dhūtapāpā water, eyes softened with joy, ripples glowing as if blessing the toucher.

Characters & Entities

• Kaumodakī
• Dhūtapāpā waters
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purifying contact with a Kāśī tīrtha is depicted as a superior source of spiritual bliss—even compared to divine regalia.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhūtapāpā—its waters and their purifying contact.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃparka (contact) with Dhūtapāpā waters—practically expressed as tīrtha-snānā or reverent touching/ācamanā.