Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

अत्र पूर्वं जनः स्नानमात्रेणैव प्रमुच्यते । पश्चात्प्रसादितश्चाहं त्रिदशैर्मुक्तिदुर्दृशैः

Transliteration

atra pūrvaṃ janaḥ snānamātreṇaiva pramucyate | paścātprasāditaścāhaṃ tridaśairmuktidurdṛśaiḥ

Translation

Here, in former times, people were released from bondage by the mere act of bathing. Later, even I was propitiated by the gods—hard to behold, yet bestowers of liberation.

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक)

• जनः: a person; people (one)
• जनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: स्नान-मात्र (तत्पुरुष: ‘mere bathing’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental, Singular

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/अवधारण) — Emphatic particle

• प्रमुच्यते: is released; is freed
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + muc (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, Passive, 3rd person singular

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paścāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/अनन्तर) — Indeclinable ‘afterwards’

• प्रसादितः: (having been) pleased; propitiated
• प्रसादितः: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + sad (धातु) + ita (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/इत-प्रत्यय), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — PPP ‘pleased/propitiated’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — Conjunction

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aham (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुष, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — Pronoun ‘I’, Nominative, Singular

• त्रिदशैः: by the gods
• त्रिदशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• मुक्तिदुर्दृशैः: (gods) hard to behold/approach for liberation; granting hard-to-get liberation
• मुक्तिदुर्दृशैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukti + durdṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: मुक्ति-दुर्दृश (तत्पुरुष: ‘hard-to-obtain liberation’/‘hard to see as liberation’); पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Instrumental, Plural (qualifying त्रिदशैः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśī Khaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims bathing in a sacred kund; chains or dark knots symbolizing bondage dissolve in the water; devas in the sky offer reverence, seeking the speaker’s prasāda; the atmosphere is charged with liberation imagery.

Characters & Entities

• Tridaśa (Devas)
• Snāna (ritual bath)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain Kāśī tīrthas are so potent that simple snāna can loosen bondage, highlighting grace over complexity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The adhyāya’s tīrtha-complex around Kedārakuṇḍa/Gaurītīrtha/Mānasatīrtha, praised for snāna-based release.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) is emphasized as a direct, efficacious practice at this location.