Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

मंदेहदेहनाशार्थमुदयास्तमये रविः । समीहते द्विजोत्सृष्टं मंत्रतोयांजलित्रयम्

Transliteration

maṃdehadehanāśārthamudayāstamaye raviḥ | samīhate dvijotsṛṣṭaṃ maṃtratoyāṃjalitrayam

Translation

Au lever et au coucher du soleil, le Soleil s’emploie à détruire les corps des Mandéhas; c’est pourquoi il désire les trois poignées d’eau, sanctifiées par le mantra, offertes par un dvija, le « deux-fois-né ».

Word by Word

• मन्देह-देह-नाश-अर्थम्: for the destruction of the bodies of the Mandehas
• मन्देह-देह-नाश-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन्देह (प्रातिपदिक) + देह (प्रातिपदिक) + नाश (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणार्थे), समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; अर्थम्-प्रत्ययान्तं (अर्थे) = “...के लिये/for the sake of”

• उदय-अस्तमये: at sunrise and sunset
• उदय-अस्तमये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदय (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्तमय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (उदयश्च अस्तमयश्च)

• रविः: the Sun
• रविः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• समीहते: endeavours; strives
• समीहते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• द्विज-उत्सृष्टम्: released/offered by a twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विज-उत्सृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्सृष्ट (कृदन्त; √सृज् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (द्विजेन उत्सृष्टम्)

• मन्त्र-तोय-अञ्जलि-त्रयम्: the three handfuls (anjalis) of mantra-infused water
• मन्त्र-तोय-अञ्जलि-त्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मन्त्रेण तोयं, तेन अञ्जलिः; तस्य त्रयम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Gaṅgā-ghāṭa sandhyā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the riverbank at dawn/dusk, a dvija stands in añjali posture offering three streams of water toward the rising/setting Sun; subtle shadowy Mandeha figures dissolve in solar radiance above the horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Mandeha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Daily Sandhyā practice—offering mantra-consecrated water to Sūrya—supports cosmic order and removes obstructive forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s praise-context, where Kāśī is upheld as the supreme field for dharma and mantra-upāsanā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering three añjalis (three cupped handfuls) of water sanctified with mantra at sunrise and sunset (Sandhyā times).