Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

सन्मनोभिरिवात्यच्छैरनच्छैर्व्योमवर्त्मवत् । ज्योत्स्नावदुज्ज्वलच्छायैः पावनैः शंभुनामवत्

Transliteration

sanmanobhirivātyacchairanacchairvyomavartmavat | jyotsnāvadujjvalacchāyaiḥ pāvanaiḥ śaṃbhunāmavat

Translation

Those waters were exceedingly clear—like noble minds—stainless like the paths of the sky; luminous like moonlight, and purifying like the very names of Śambhu.

Word by Word

• सन्मनोभिः: with pure minds
• सन्मनोभिः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमानम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः (सत् मनः); नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्ययम् (particle of comparison)

• अति-अच्छैः: with very clear (ones)
• अति-अच्छैः: Karana (Instrument/करणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय) + अच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः (अत्यन्तम् अच्छाः); पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• अनच्छैः: with spotless (ones)
• अनच्छैः: Karana (Instrument/करणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• व्योमवर्त्मवत्: like the sky’s path
• व्योमवर्त्मवत्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमानम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्योम (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (व्योम्नः वर्त्म); वत्-प्रत्ययान्तम्; अव्ययवत् उपमान-विशेषणम् (as/like having the sky as path)

• ज्योत्स्नावत्: like moonlight
• ज्योत्स्नावत्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमानम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्योत्स्ना (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: वत्-प्रत्ययान्तम्; उपमान-विशेषणम् (like moonlight)

• उज्ज्वलच्छायैः: with bright radiance/shade
• उज्ज्वलच्छायैः: Karana (Instrument/करणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उज्ज्वल (प्रातिपदिक) + छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः (उज्ज्वला छाया यस्य); पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• पावनैः: with purifying (ones)
• पावनैः: Karana (Instrument/करणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• शंभुनामवत्: like Śambhu’s name
• शंभुनामवत्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमानम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (शंभोः नाम); वत्-प्रत्ययान्तम्; उपमान-विशेषणम् (like the name of Śambhu)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī tīrtha-jala (Gaṅgā-associated, implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Crystal-clear sacred water gleams like moonlight; above it, an open, stainless sky-path motif; the scene visually equates pure water with noble minds and Śambhu’s names as radiant cleansing light.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu
• Tīrtha-jala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification comes through both sacred substance and sacred sound—tīrtha water and Śiva’s name alike cleanse the heart.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, where the sanctity of its waters is praised as equal in purity to Śiva’s holy names.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied practice: purification through abhiṣeka and through Śambhu-nāma (name-recitation/japa).