Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

अस्पृष्टहीनजातिः स शुचिष्मान्स्थंडिलेशयः । आनयञ्ज्वरितोप्यासीन्मध्ये मार्गं धनंजयः

Transliteration

aspṛṣṭahīnajātiḥ sa śuciṣmānsthaṃḍileśayaḥ | ānayañjvaritopyāsīnmadhye mārgaṃ dhanaṃjayaḥ

Translation

Bien que né d’une condition humble, tenu pour « intouchable », il demeurait pur et couchait sur la terre nue ; même brûlant de fièvre, Dhanaṃjaya continuait de porter (les restes) au milieu de la route.

Word by Word

• अस्पृष्टहीनजातिः: of untouched and low birth (i.e., considered impure by caste)
• अस्पृष्टहीनजातिः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्पृष्ट-हीन-जाति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्य जातिः अस्पृष्टा हीना च) विशेषणम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शुचिष्मान्: pure, clean
• शुचिष्मान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचिष्मत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive adjective)

• स्थण्डिलेशयः: one who sleeps on the bare ground
• स्थण्डिलेशयः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थण्डिल-शय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्थण्डिले शयः = ground-sleeper)

• आनयन्: bringing
• आनयन्: Kriyā-sahakārī (क्रियासहकारी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-नी (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले ‘bringing’

• ज्वरितः: feverish
• ज्वरितः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वरित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; ज्वर्/ज्वर धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• अपि: even though
• अपि: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (even/though)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (in the middle)

• मार्गम्: the road/path
• मार्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• धनंजयः: Dhanaṃjaya
• धनंजयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (destination)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A feverish yet determined Dhanaṃjaya walks the center of the road carrying the copper casket; he sleeps on bare ground at night; passersby keep distance due to ‘untouchable’ stigma, while a subtle sacred radiance surrounds his act.

Characters & Entities

• Dhanaṃjaya
• Jvara (fever)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and dharma are measured by conduct and perseverance, not social label; hardship borne for sacred duty is praised.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The implied destination remains the Gaṅgā within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative framework, which broadly glorifies Kāśī and its sacred ecosystem.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual step is prescribed; the verse emphasizes austerity, purity, and steadfast continuation of the sacred duty despite illness.