Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

वेतालकुंडे सुस्नातो वेतालं प्रणिपत्य च । लभेत वांछितां सिद्धिं दुर्लभां सर्वदेहिभिः

Transliteration

vetālakuṃḍe susnāto vetālaṃ praṇipatya ca | labheta vāṃchitāṃ siddhiṃ durlabhāṃ sarvadehibhiḥ

Translation

Wer im Vetāla-kuṇḍa gründlich gebadet und sich dann vor dem Vetāla verneigt hat, erlangt die ersehnte Siddhi, die für verkörperte Wesen schwer zu gewinnen ist.

Word by Word

• वेतालकुण्डे: in the Vetāla-pond
• वेतालकुण्डे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेताल (प्रातिपदिक) + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेतालस्य कुण्डे)

• सुस्नातः: having bathed well
• सुस्नातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग) + स्नात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; स्ना धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्ता)

• वेतालम्: the Vetāla
• वेतालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रणिपत्य: having bowed down
• प्रणिपत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + नि + पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• लभेत: may obtain
• लभेत: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वांछिताम्: desired
• वांछिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाञ्छित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वाञ्छ् धातोः क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सिद्धिम्)

• सिद्धिम्: success/accomplishment
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दुर्लभाम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग) + लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सिद्धिम्)

• सर्वदेहिभिः: by all embodied beings
• सर्वदेहिभिः: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Agentive means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वे देहिनः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vetāla-kuṇḍa

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrim descends the steps into Vetāla-kuṇḍa, bathes, emerges with wet hair and folded hands, then prostrates before a fierce guardian icon under a small canopy.

Characters & Entities

• Vetāla-kuṇḍa
• Vetāla
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit in Kāśī arises from humility and right practice: tīrtha-bathing joined with reverence yields rare attainments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vetāla-kuṇḍa in Kāśī, together with reverence to its associated Vetāla.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna (bathing) in Vetāla-kuṇḍa and then offer praṇāma (prostration) to the Vetāla to gain desired siddhi.