Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

विभूतिधारिणं वीक्ष्य पिशाचं जलदेवताः । जलावगाहनपरं वारयांचक्रिरे न तम्

Transliteration

vibhūtidhāriṇaṃ vīkṣya piśācaṃ jaladevatāḥ | jalāvagāhanaparaṃ vārayāṃcakrire na tam

Translation

Als die Wassergottheiten den Piśāca sahen, der mit heiliger Vibhūti geschmückt war, hielten sie ihn nicht zurück, obgleich er entschlossen war, ins Wasser zu steigen, um zu baden.

Word by Word

• विभूतिधारिणम्: bearing vibhūti (sacred ash)
• विभूतिधारिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभूति (प्रातिपदिक) + धारिन् (धृ धातु, इनि-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—विभूति-धारिन् (विभूतिं धारयति)

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• वीक्ष्य: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु), ल्यप्-प्रत्यय
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (gerund): ‘having seen’

• पिशाचम्: the piśāca (goblin)
• पिशाचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• जलदेवताः: water-deities
• जलदेवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (जल प्रातिपदिक) + देवता (देवता प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; समासः—जल-देवता

• जलावगाहनपरम्: intent on bathing/immersing in water
• जलावगाहनपरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + अवगाहन (अव + गाह् धातु, ल्युट्/अन) + पर (पर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—जल-अवगाहन-पर (जलावगाहने परः)

• वारयाम्: to stop
• वारयाम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वारय् (वृ धातु, णिच्)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्यय-लोपयुक्तं धात्वर्थ-रूपम् (infinitival sense) ‘to restrain’; पाठानुसारं ‘वारयां-’ (desiderative/infinitive-like in periphrastic perfect construction)

• चक्रिरे: did / attempted
• चक्रिरे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• न: not
• न: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निपात)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (not)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā at Kāśī (ghāṭa-snānādhikāra)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A piśāca with fresh vibhūti on forehead approaches the river steps; translucent jala-devatās rise from the water, observing the ash-mark and stepping aside respectfully, allowing the bath.

Characters & Entities

• Piśāca
• Jaladevatāḥ (water deities)
• Vibhūti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred marks and devotion can overturn spiritual ineligibility, granting access to purifying rites like tīrtha-bathing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The bathing-place that becomes famed as Piśācamocana-tīrtha within Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-snana (immersion/bathing) undertaken while bearing vibhūti.