Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

शौचमाचमनं कृत्वा दंतकाष्ठं समाददेत् । अशोकवृक्षस्य शुभं सर्वशोकनिशातनम्

Transliteration

śaucamācamanaṃ kṛtvā daṃtakāṣṭhaṃ samādadet | aśokavṛkṣasya śubhaṃ sarvaśokaniśātanam

Translation

Après la purification et la gorgée rituelle d’eau (ācamana), qu’on prenne un bâtonnet pour les dents, de l’arbre Aśoka, auspice et tranchant de toute peine.

Word by Word

• शौचम्: purification, cleanliness
• शौचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; object with कृत्वा

• आचमनम्: sipping (ritual)
• आचमनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; object with कृत्वा

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having done’

• दंतकाष्ठम्: tooth-stick
• दंतकाष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दन्तस्य काष्ठम् (tooth-stick)

• समाददेत्: should take up
• समाददेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी; ‘should take’

• अशोकवृक्षस्य: of the aśoka tree
• अशोकवृक्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशोक (प्रातिपदिक) + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; ‘of the aśoka tree’

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate/qualifier of दंतकाष्ठम् (understood)

• सर्वशोकनिशातनम्: destroyer of all sorrows
• सर्वशोकनिशातनम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शोक (प्रातिपदिक) + निशातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वेषां शोकानां निशातनम् (destroyer of all sorrows)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn near a Kāśī ghat, a pilgrim performs ācāmana and then gently uses an Aśoka twig as a tooth-stick, with Aśoka tree branches visible nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Aśoka tree

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity is joined with sacred symbolism: choosing Aśoka signifies the aspiration to cut away grief through dharmic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa context is Kāśī; this verse highlights a ritual item rather than a particular tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śauca and ācamana, then use an Aśoka-tree tooth-stick (dantakāṣṭha).