Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 180

Devanagari script

जलस्य धारणं मूर्ध्नि विश्वेश स्नानजन्मनः । एष जालंधरो बंधः समस्तसुरदुर्लभः

Transliteration

jalasya dhāraṇaṃ mūrdhni viśveśa snānajanmanaḥ | eṣa jālaṃdharo baṃdhaḥ samastasuradurlabhaḥ

Translation

Ô Viśveśa, retenir l’« eau » au sommet de la tête—née du bain sacré—tel est le bandha de Jālandhara, difficile à obtenir même pour l’ensemble des dieux.

Word by Word

• जलस्य: of water
• जलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• धारणम्: holding, retention
• धारणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन — 'holding/retention'

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• विश्वेश: O Lord of the universe
• विश्वेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति (8th/Vocative); एकवचन

• स्नानजन्मनः: of (that) born from bathing (i.e., produced by bathing)
• स्नानजन्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (स्नानात् जन्म/उत्पत्तिः यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive); एकवचन — qualifying/relating to 'धारणम्'

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• जालन्धरः: Jālandhara
• जालन्धरः: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जालन्धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन — name/term of a yogic lock

• बन्धः: lock, bandha
• बन्धः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• समस्तसुरदुर्लभः: hard to obtain even for all the gods
• समस्तसुरदुर्लभः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त + सुर + दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (समस्तानां सुराणां दुर्लभः); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन — qualifying 'बन्धः'

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Gaṅgā-snān in Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin freshly bathed in the Gaṅgā sits near a Kāśī ghat, chin locked and posture steady, visualizing a luminous drop rising to the crown; Viśveśvara is invoked as witness.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśa (Śiva)
• Devas
• Jālandhara-bandha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It exalts a subtle yogic retention as a rare attainment, linking bodily discipline with the sanctifying power of sacred acts like snāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is implied through the Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame, with direct address to Viśveśa (Vishvanātha/Viśveśvara), Kāśī’s presiding Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (sacred bathing) is referenced as a source-condition, alongside the yogic prescription of Jālandhara-bandha (retention at the crown).