Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

सुखंशये सुशयने प्रावृत्य पुलकांबरम् । अपोऽथ समुपस्पृश्य तांबूलं परिगृह्य च

Transliteration

sukhaṃśaye suśayane prāvṛtya pulakāṃbaram | apo'tha samupaspṛśya tāṃbūlaṃ parigṛhya ca

Translation

Je m'allonge joyeusement sur une couche raffinée, couvert d'un vêtement de frissons. Puis, ayant bu de l'eau, je prends du bétel.

Word by Word

• सुखम्: comfortably
• सुखम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन (adverbial accusative)

• शये: I lie down
• शये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सु-शयने: on a good bed
• सु-शयने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + शयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (सु + शयन)

• प्रावृत्य: having covered (myself)
• प्रावृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र+आ+वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• पुलक-अम्बरम्: a garment of horripilation (gooseflesh)
• पुलक-अम्बरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलक (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पुलकस्य अम्बरम्)

• अपः: waters
• अपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Anantarya (Sequencing/अनन्तर्य)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरबोधक-अव्यय (sequence particle)

• समुपस्पृश्य: having touched/washed with (water)
• समुपस्पृश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्+उप+स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• ताम्बूलम्: betel (leaf preparation)
• ताम्बूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्बूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• परिगृह्य: having taken
• परिगृह्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि+ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative voice; speaker not explicit here)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (daily life within kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: child/son

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim/householder reclines on a neat bed, covered with a cloth as gooseflesh rises; then performs a small purification sip/touch of water and accepts betel, all in a calm Kāśī interior with river sounds outside.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It paints an intimate, human scene—often used in purāṇic narratives to heighten contrast before a moral, emotional, or dharmic turning point.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is directly referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is prescribed; sipping water and taking tāmbūla are mentioned as customary acts.