Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तत्रेंद्रः स्नानमात्रेण दिव्यगंधोऽभवत्क्षणात् । अवाप च रुचिं चारुं प्राक्तनीं शातयाज्ञिकीम्

Transliteration

tatreṃdraḥ snānamātreṇa divyagaṃdho'bhavatkṣaṇāt | avāpa ca ruciṃ cāruṃ prāktanīṃ śātayājñikīm

Translation

Dort wurde Indra schon durch das bloße Bad augenblicklich von göttlichem Duft umhüllt und gewann eine liebliche Ausstrahlung zurück — den früheren Glanz, geboren aus seinen alten Opfern (yajña).

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative adverbial/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (there)

• indraḥ: Indra
• indraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• snāna-mātreṇa: by mere bathing
• snāna-mātreṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (‘mere bathing’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• divya-gandhaḥ: divine fragrance
• divya-gandhaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divya + gandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• abhavat: became
• abhavat: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kṣaṇāt: in an instant
• kṣaṇāt: Kāla-adhikaraṇa/Apādāna (Temporal point/ablative of time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन; ‘immediately/from a moment’

• avāpa: attained
• avāpa: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• rucim: splendour/beauty
• rucim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ruci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• cārum: lovely
• cārum: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cāru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग? (agreeing with rucim: स्त्रीलिङ्ग-द्वितीया-एकवचन रूप अपेक्षित ‘cārūm’; पाठे ‘cārum’—प्रयोगे विशेषण), द्वितीया, एकवचन

• prāktanīm: former
• prāktanīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāktanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘former/previous’

• śātayājñikīm: connected with Śātayajña (ancestral)
• śātayājñikīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śātayājñikī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; जातिवाचक/विशेषण (from Śātayajña lineage/pertaining to Śātayajña)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharma-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra emerges from the water radiant, surrounded by a subtle aura; divine fragrance is suggested by floating blossoms and perfumed wind; the tīrtha glows as if charged with mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Dharma-tīrtha (implied)
• Śata-yajña (hundred sacrifices)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, tīrtha-snānā is depicted as swiftly restoring purity and spiritual luster, even beyond great ritual achievements.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha established at Dharmapīṭha (Dharma-tīrtha) where Indra bathes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) itself, with emphasis on its immediate purificatory fruit (snāna-phala).