Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तत्रेंद्रः स्नानमात्रेण दिव्यगंधोऽभवत्क्षणात् । अवाप च रुचिं चारुं प्राक्तनीं शातयाज्ञिकीम्

Transliteration

tatreṃdraḥ snānamātreṇa divyagaṃdho'bhavatkṣaṇāt | avāpa ca ruciṃ cāruṃ prāktanīṃ śātayājñikīm

Translation

Là, par le seul bain, Indra fut aussitôt embaumé d’un parfum divin, et il retrouva une belle splendeur, l’éclat d’autrefois né de ses antiques sacrifices.

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative adverbial/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (there)

• indraḥ: Indra
• indraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• snāna-mātreṇa: by mere bathing
• snāna-mātreṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (‘mere bathing’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• divya-gandhaḥ: divine fragrance
• divya-gandhaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divya + gandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• abhavat: became
• abhavat: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kṣaṇāt: in an instant
• kṣaṇāt: Kāla-adhikaraṇa/Apādāna (Temporal point/ablative of time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन; ‘immediately/from a moment’

• avāpa: attained
• avāpa: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• rucim: splendour/beauty
• rucim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ruci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• cārum: lovely
• cārum: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cāru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग? (agreeing with rucim: स्त्रीलिङ्ग-द्वितीया-एकवचन रूप अपेक्षित ‘cārūm’; पाठे ‘cārum’—प्रयोगे विशेषण), द्वितीया, एकवचन

• prāktanīm: former
• prāktanīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāktanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘former/previous’

• śātayājñikīm: connected with Śātayajña (ancestral)
• śātayājñikīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śātayājñikī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; जातिवाचक/विशेषण (from Śātayajña lineage/pertaining to Śātayajña)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharma-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra emerges from the water radiant, surrounded by a subtle aura; divine fragrance is suggested by floating blossoms and perfumed wind; the tīrtha glows as if charged with mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Dharma-tīrtha (implied)
• Śata-yajña (hundred sacrifices)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, tīrtha-snānā is depicted as swiftly restoring purity and spiritual luster, even beyond great ritual achievements.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha established at Dharmapīṭha (Dharma-tīrtha) where Indra bathes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) itself, with emphasis on its immediate purificatory fruit (snāna-phala).