Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

पानीयं पातुमपि नो लभेयं मुनिसत्तम । स्नानस्य का कथा नाथ रक्षेयुर्जलदेवताः

Transliteration

pānīyaṃ pātumapi no labheyaṃ munisattama | snānasya kā kathā nātha rakṣeyurjaladevatāḥ

Translation

„O Bester der Weisen, ich vermag nicht einmal Trinkwasser zu erlangen. Was wäre da erst vom Baden zu sagen, o Herr? Die Gottheiten der Wasser würden mich zurückhalten.“

Word by Word

• पानीयम्: drinking water
• पानीयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पानीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• पातुम्: to drink
• पातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive) — to drink

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• नः: for us/our
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-बहुवचनरूप (enclitic) — here: षष्ठी बहुवचन ‘our’ (context: ‘for us/we’)

• लभेयम्: I could obtain
• लभेयम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — I might obtain

• मुनिसत्तम: O best of sages
• मुनिसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन — Vocative; समास: मुनीनां सत्तमः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• स्नानस्य: of bathing
• स्नानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive singular (of bathing)

• का: what (kind of)
• का: Karta (Predicate interrogative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — interrogative pronoun; विशेषण (of कथा)

• कथा: talk/possibility
• कथा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• नाथ: O lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन — Vocative singular

• रक्षेयुः: might protect/permit
• रक्षेयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — they might protect/allow

• जलदेवताः: water-deities
• जलदेवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल-देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; समास: जलस्य देवताः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Preta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vimalodā-saras

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The preta laments inability to obtain even drinking water, fearing the water-deities will restrain him from bathing; he appeals to the sage as protector.

Characters & Entities

• Preta
• Muni
• Jaladevatāḥ (water deities)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karmic affliction can block access to purifying rites, highlighting the need for guidance, grace, and proper means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vimalodaka Saras tīrtha in Kāśī remains the setting of the episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna is discussed, along with the notion of ritual restriction/guardianship by jaladevatāḥ.