Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

शौचमाचमनं कृत्वा दंतकाष्ठं समाददेत् । अशोकवृक्षस्य शुभं सर्वशोकनिशातनम्

Transliteration

śaucamācamanaṃ kṛtvā daṃtakāṣṭhaṃ samādadet | aśokavṛkṣasya śubhaṃ sarvaśokaniśātanam

Translation

Nachdem man sich gereinigt und das rituelle Wasserschlürfen (Ācamana) vollzogen hat, nehme man ein Zahnhölzchen—glückverheißend vom Aśoka-Baum, dem Vertilger allen Kummers.

Word by Word

• शौचम्: purification, cleanliness
• शौचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; object with कृत्वा

• आचमनम्: sipping (ritual)
• आचमनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; object with कृत्वा

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having done’

• दंतकाष्ठम्: tooth-stick
• दंतकाष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दन्तस्य काष्ठम् (tooth-stick)

• समाददेत्: should take up
• समाददेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी; ‘should take’

• अशोकवृक्षस्य: of the aśoka tree
• अशोकवृक्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशोक (प्रातिपदिक) + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; ‘of the aśoka tree’

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate/qualifier of दंतकाष्ठम् (understood)

• सर्वशोकनिशातनम्: destroyer of all sorrows
• सर्वशोकनिशातनम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शोक (प्रातिपदिक) + निशातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वेषां शोकानां निशातनम् (destroyer of all sorrows)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn near a Kāśī ghat, a pilgrim performs ācāmana and then gently uses an Aśoka twig as a tooth-stick, with Aśoka tree branches visible nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Aśoka tree

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity is joined with sacred symbolism: choosing Aśoka signifies the aspiration to cut away grief through dharmic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa context is Kāśī; this verse highlights a ritual item rather than a particular tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śauca and ācamana, then use an Aśoka-tree tooth-stick (dantakāṣṭha).