Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

सचैलमभिमज्ज्याथ कृतसंध्यादिसत्क्रियाः । संतर्प्य तर्प्यादिपितॄन्कुशगंधतिलोदकैः

Transliteration

sacailamabhimajjyātha kṛtasaṃdhyādisatkriyāḥ | saṃtarpya tarpyādipitṝnkuśagaṃdhatilodakaiḥ

Translation

Bathing there even with their garments on, and having duly performed the twilight-prayers and other sacred observances, they satisfied the Pitṛs through offerings of water mixed with kuśa grass, fragrant substances, and sesame.

Word by Word

• सचैलम्: with garments (on)
• सचैलम्: Kriya (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स + चैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषण (with clothes on)

• अभिमज्ज्य: having immersed/bathed
• अभिमज्ज्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√मज्ज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having bathed/immersed)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequencer/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक-निपात (then)

• कृतसंध्यादिसत्क्रियाः: having performed the sandhyā and other rites
• कृतसंध्यादिसत्क्रियाः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + संध्या + आदि + सत्क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Nominative plural masculine); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (संध्यादयः सत्क्रियाः कृताः येषाम्)

• संतर्प्य: having satisfied
• संतर्प्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√तृप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having satisfied)

• तर्प्यादि-पितॄन्: the fathers (pitṛs) such as the Tarpyas
• तर्प्यादि-पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्प्य + आदि + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Accusative plural masculine); तत्पुरुषः (तर्प्यादयः पितरः)

• कुशगन्धतिलोदकैः: with kuśa-grass, scented (water), sesame, and water
• कुशगन्धतिलोदकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश + गन्ध + तिल + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Instrumental plural neuter); द्वन्द्वसमाहारः (with kuśa, fragrance, sesame, and water)

Speaker

Parāśara (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta and the assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the ghat: devas and sages immerse (even clothed), then stand on steps performing sandhyā with arghya; later offer tarpaṇa with kuśa, til, and fragrant water to pitṛs.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Maṇikarṇikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A Kāśī pilgrimage is not mere travel: it is dharma-in-action—purification by bathing, worship through daily rites, and gratitude to ancestors through tarpaṇa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is Maṇikarṇikā tīrtha in Kāśī, where bathing and ancestral offerings are performed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (immersion), sandhyā and allied observances, and pitṛ-tarpaṇa using water with kuśa, fragrance, and sesame.