Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

एतन्नामाक्षररसं रसयंती दिवानिशम् । रसना नैव जानाति तस्या अन्यद्रसांतरम्

Transliteration

etannāmākṣararasaṃ rasayaṃtī divāniśam | rasanā naiva jānāti tasyā anyadrasāṃtaram

Translation

Indem sie Tag und Nacht die nektargleiche Essenz der Silben dieses Namens kostete, kannte ihre Zunge keinerlei anderen Geschmack mehr.

Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे समासपूर्वपदम्/निर्देशकः; अत्र ‘एतत्-’ इति पूर्वपदं ‘नाम…’ इत्यनेन सह

• nāmākṣararasam: the savor/essence of the name’s syllables
• nāmākṣararasam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāma + akṣara + rasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नाम्नः अक्षराणां रसः)

• rasayantī: relishing, tasting
• rasayantī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ras (रस्) + शतृ/शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक-कर्तरि-शतृ (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘रसयन्ती’ = tasting/relishing

• divāniśam: day and night
• divāniśam: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: divā + niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः; द्वन्द्वसमासः (दिवा च निशा च) → ‘दिवानिशम्’ (day and night)

• rasanā: tongue
• rasanā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rasanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• eva: indeed/at all
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis/only)

• jānāti: knows
• jānāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (ज्ञा)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान), प्रथमा-पुरुषः, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• tasyāḥ: of it (of the tongue)
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘रसनायाः’ इत्यर्थे (of it/of her)

• anyat: another
• anyat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘रसान्तरम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• rasāntaram: another taste/flavor
• rasāntaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rasa + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रसस्य अन्तरम् = अन्यः रसः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up devotional scene: Mādhavī chanting; from her lips emerges a stream of luminous syllables like nectar droplets, while worldly sweets and perfumes fade into shadow, symbolizing ‘no other taste’.

Characters & Entities

• Nāma (Name)
• Akṣara (syllable)
• Oṃkāra/Praṇava (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When the divine Name becomes one’s deepest ‘taste,’ worldly cravings fade and devotion becomes effortless and continuous.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī Khaṇḍa context frames this as a Kāśī-centered path of liberation through nāma/mantra savoring.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continual remembrance/japa of the Name-syllable (nāma-akṣara), sustained day and night.