Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अहो तदंगसंगीनि त्यक्त्वा जाड्यं जलान्यपि । रसवंति पदस्थानि स्फुरंत्यन्यत्र तद्भयात्

Transliteration

aho tadaṃgasaṃgīni tyaktvā jāḍyaṃ jalānyapi | rasavaṃti padasthāni sphuraṃtyanyatra tadbhayāt

Translation

Ah ! Même les eaux, alourdies d’avoir adhéré à ses membres, rejetèrent leur torpeur ; les lieux où ses pieds se tenaient devinrent pleins de sève et de vitalité, et, par crainte de sa puissance ascétique, les courants frémirent et se détournèrent ailleurs.

Word by Word

• अहो: oh! alas!/indeed
• अहो: Sambodhana/Discourse marker (उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार/विस्मयार्थक-अव्यय (interjection/exclamation)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular); विशेषणरूपेण

• अङ्ग-सङ्गीनि: having bodily contact
• अङ्ग-सङ्गीनि: Visheshana (qualifier of following noun/implicit subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter, nom/acc plural); तद्-विशेषणम्; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अङ्गस्य सङ्गीनि = having contact with the body/limbs)

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having abandoned’

• जाड्यम्: dullness, inertia
• जाड्यम्: Karma (object of त्यक्त्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाड्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• जलानि: waters
• जलानि: Karma (object, with अपि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter, accusative plural)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• रसवन्ति: full of taste/essence
• रसवन्ति: Visheshana (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रसवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter, nom/acc plural); विशेषणम्

• पदस्थानि: word-positions/places of feet (in verse)
• पदस्थानि: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (neuter, nominative plural); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पदानां स्थानानि = places/positions of words/feet)

• स्फुरन्ति: throb/flash/appear vividly
• स्फुरन्ति: Kriya (main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्फुर् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (present indicative, 3rd person plural)

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: elsewhere)

• तद्-भयात्: from fear of that
• तद्-भयात्: Apadana (ablative: cause/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (neuter, ablative singular); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य भयात् = from fear of that)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm: Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (implied ghat/river setting)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A great ascetic stands near sacred waters; the water around his limbs brightens and becomes lively; currents recoil and shift as if in reverent fear; footprints glow, making the ground appear verdant and ‘sap-filled.’

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Tapas (austerity)
• Waters (Jala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas transforms even inert nature; steadfast devotion radiates a power that purifies and reorders the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī-kṣetra (Varanasi) setting of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where spiritual practice is portrayed as exceptionally potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse highlights the efficacy of austerity (tapas) and single-pointed discipline.