Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तत्कूपजलसुस्नातो विलोक्याप्सरसेश्वरम् । न दौर्भाग्यमवाप्नोति नारी वा पुरुषोथवा

Transliteration

tatkūpajalasusnāto vilokyāpsaraseśvaram | na daurbhāgyamavāpnoti nārī vā puruṣothavā

Translation

Whoever bathes well in the water of that well and beholds Apsaraseśvara does not fall into misfortune—whether woman or man.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (of it)
• तत्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (genitival sense) अव्ययवत्; विशेषण (qualifying ‘कूप’)

• कूप: well
• कूप: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• जल: water
• जल: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• सुस्नातः: well-bathed
• सुस्नातः: Karta (Agent described/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + स्ना (धातु) → स्नात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP ‘स्नात’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (implicit agent)

• विलोक्य: having seen
• विलोक्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• अप्सरसेश्वरम्: Apsaraseśvara (lord)
• अप्सरसेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• दौर्भाग्यम्: misfortune
• दौर्भाग्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दौर्भाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• अवाप्नोति: attains
• अवाप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• नारी: a woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Coordination/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle ‘or’)

• पुरुषः: a man
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• अथ: or else
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: ‘or else/then’)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Coordination/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saubhāgyodaka (Apsaras-kūpa) with Apsaraseśvara

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vātāpitāpana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees—women and men—bathe at a stone well, then approach a small Śiva shrine for darśana, with an atmosphere of relief and renewed fortune.

Characters & Entities

• Apsaraseśvara
• Saubhāgyodaka (Apsarasaḥ Kūpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity (snāna) joined to devotional sight (darśana) transforms one’s destiny, turning away inauspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Saubhāgyodaka well and the Apsaraseśvara liṅga in the Jyeṣṭheśvara vicinity of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform bathing in the well’s water and then take darśana of Apsaraseśvara.