Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

एतन्मंत्रत्रयं जप्त्वा स्नात्वा पादोदके नरः । केशवादित्यमालोक्य क्षणान्निष्कलुषो भवेत्

Transliteration

etanmaṃtratrayaṃ japtvā snātvā pādodake naraḥ | keśavādityamālokya kṣaṇānniṣkaluṣo bhavet

Translation

Having recited this set of three mantras and bathed in pādodaka—the water that has washed the feet—a man, upon beholding Keśavāditya, becomes free of defilement in an instant.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; निर्देश-विशेषण

• मन्त्रत्रयम्: the three mantras
• मन्त्रत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘त्रयः मन्त्राः’ इति द्विगु-समास

• जप्त्वा: having recited
• जप्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); ‘having recited’

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; ‘having bathed’

• पादोदके: in foot-water / at the water by the feet
• पादोदके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘पादस्य उदके’ (in water at the feet / foot-water)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• केशवादित्यम्: Keśavāditya
• केशवादित्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णुनाम) + आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘केशव-आदित्य’ (name of deity/sun-form)

• आलोक्य: having beheld
• आलोक्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लोक् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having seen/beheld’

• क्षणात्: in a moment / from that moment
• क्षणात्: Apadana (Time-from/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; कालवाचक

• निष्कलुषः: free from impurity
• निष्कलुषः: Kartṛsamanadhikarana (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्कलुष (प्रातिपदिक; निः + कलुष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Kāśīkhaṇḍa; immediately before Skanda’s direct speech at v.83)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Keśavāditya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee completes mantra-japa, then bathes/ācaman with pādodaka, and finally gazes upon a radiant Keśavāditya image; a visual ‘clearing’ aura around the devotee signifies instant purity.

Characters & Entities

• Keśavāditya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is achieved through a complete triad—mantra, sacred bathing, and darśana of the deity—culminating in inner cleansing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Keśavāditya, an Āditya shrine/tīrtha within the Kāśī landscape, is praised as granting immediate purity through darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of three mantras, snāna in pādodaka, and darśana (seeing) of Keśavāditya.