Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

अष्टद्रव्यविमिश्रेण गंगातोयेन यः सकृत् । मागधप्रस्थमात्रेण ताम्रपात्रस्थितेन च

Transliteration

aṣṭadravyavimiśreṇa gaṃgātoyena yaḥ sakṛt | māgadhaprasthamātreṇa tāmrapātrasthitena ca

Translation

Quiconque, ne fût-ce qu’une seule fois, se sert ou se baigne avec l’eau du Gaṅgā mêlée de huit substances sacrées—à la mesure d’un prastha de Māgadha et conservée dans un vase de cuivre—acquiert un grand mérite.

Word by Word

• अष्ट-द्रव्य-विमिश्रेण: with (water) mixed with eight substances
• अष्ट-द्रव्य-विमिश्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + विमिश्र (कृदन्त; वि-मिश्र्/मिश्र् धातोः क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (अष्टद्रव्यैः विमिश्र); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘गङ्गातोयेन’)

• गङ्गा-तोयेन: with Gaṅgā water
• गङ्गा-तोयेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (गङ्गायाः तोयम्/गङ्गातोयम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (once)

• मागध-प्रस्थ-मात्रेण: by the measure of one Māgadha prastha
• मागध-प्रस्थ-मात्रेण: Karana (Measure/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मागध (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (मागधस्य प्रस्थः; प्रस्थस्य मात्रा); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; प्रमाणार्थ (by the measure of)

• ताम्र-पात्र-स्थितेन: kept in a copper vessel
• ताम्र-पात्र-स्थितेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताम्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थित (कृदन्त; स्था धातोः क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (ताम्रपात्रे स्थित); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the measured water)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśī-khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-jala (aṣṭadravya-miśrita)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A copper pot (tāmra-pātra) filled with Gaṅgā water sits on a ritual cloth; eight small bowls of ingredients surround it; a measuring ladle indicates the Māgadha-prastha; the devotee prepares for a single, focused rite.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• tāmra-pātra (copper vessel)
• Māgadha-prastha (measure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single properly prepared use of Gaṅgā water is presented as highly potent, emphasizing reverent precision in ritual practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā tīrtha—its water is central, with details on how it is to be ritually prepared.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Using Gaṅgā water mixed with eight substances (aṣṭadravya), measured as one Māgadha-prastha, and stored in a copper vessel (tāmra-pātra).