Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

स्पृष्ट्वा तलेन हृदयं समस्ताभिः शिरः स्पृशेत् । अंगुल्यग्रैस्तथा स्कंधौ सांबु सर्वत्र संस्पृशेत्

Transliteration

spṛṣṭvā talena hṛdayaṃ samastābhiḥ śiraḥ spṛśet | aṃgulyagraistathā skaṃdhau sāṃbu sarvatra saṃspṛśet

Translation

Touching the heart with the palm, one should then touch the head with all the fingers. With the fingertips one should also touch the shoulders; and with water one should perform the prescribed touchings everywhere, for purification.

Word by Word

• स्पृष्ट्वा: having touched
• स्पृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी-प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषणभावेन (having touched)

• तलेन: with the palm
• तलेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• हृदयम्: the heart (chest)
• हृदयम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• समस्ताभिः: with all (of them)
• समस्ताभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with implied ‘अङ्गुलीभिः’/fingers)

• शिरः: the head
• शिरः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• स्पृशेत्: should touch
• स्पृशेत्: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• अङ्गुल्यग्रैः: with the fingertips
• अङ्गुल्यग्रैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुलि + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अङ्गुलीनाम् अग्राणि = fingertips); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• स्कन्धौ: the two shoulders
• स्कन्धौ: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), द्विवचन

• स-अम्बु: with water
• स-अम्बु: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/Instrumental sense)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक) + स (उपसर्ग/अव्ययार्थक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (अम्बुयुक्तम् = with water); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of implied ‘शरीरम्/अङ्गम्’ or of the act: ‘with water’)

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (locative adverb)

• संस्पृशेत्: should touch (all over)
• संस्पृशेत्: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः ‘सम्’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī pilgrim stands near a ghāṭa with a small kamaṇḍalu, performing bodily purification: palm to heart, fingers to head, fingertips to shoulders, then sprinkling water over limbs before entering a shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied context)
• Purificatory rite (Ācamana/Śauca)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner devotion in Kāśī is supported by outer purity—ritual discipline trains mindfulness and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader teaching belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa, framing daily purity as part of life in sacred Vārāṇasī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aṅga-sparśa during purification: touching heart, head, and shoulders in sequence, accompanied by water-based purification.