Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

जलार्द्रवाससा काचिदेतस्यास्तनुमावृणोत् । कर्पूरक्षोदजालेपैरन्यास्तामन्वलेपयन्

Transliteration

jalārdravāsasā kācidetasyāstanumāvṛṇot | karpūrakṣodajālepairanyāstāmanvalepayan

Translation

L’une enveloppa son corps de vêtements humectés d’eau ; puis d’autres l’oignirent de pâtes faites de camphre réduit en poudre.

Word by Word

• जलार्द्रवाससा: with a water-wet garment
• जलार्द्रवाससा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल-आर्द्र-वासस् (प्रातिपदिक; जल + आर्द्र + वासस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्—‘वाससा’ (with a garment)

• काचित्: a certain woman
• काचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्; अनिर्दिष्टा स्त्री (some woman)

• एतस्याः: of this (woman)
• एतस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध (of her)

• तनुम्: body
• तनुम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्

• आवृणोत्: covered
• आवृणोत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/भूत) परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd) एकवचनम्; उपसर्गः ‘आ’

• कर्पूरक्षोदजालेपैः: with pastes made from camphor-powder
• कर्पूरक्षोदजालेपैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्पूर-क्षोद-जा-लेप (प्रातिपदिक; कर्पूर + क्षोद + जा + लेप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) बहुवचनम्; साधनम्—लेपैः (with pastes)

• अन्याः: other (women)
• अन्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचनम्

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्

• अन्वलेपयन्: smeared (her) repeatedly/afterwards
• अन्वलेपयन्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/भूत) परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd) बहुवचनम्; causative (णिच्) ‘लेपय’ + उपसर्गः ‘अनु’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of attendants gently wrap a heat-stricken lady in water-moistened cloth while others apply pale camphor paste; the atmosphere is cool, fragrant, and intimate, suggesting a chamber near a sacred city.

Characters & Entities

• kर्पūra (camphor)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Care for the suffering should be practical and tender—reducing distress through appropriate, sattvic remedies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography; no specific tīrtha is identified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anointing with camphor paste is described as a soothing measure, not as a prescribed vrata or yajña.