Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

विमृश्येति स वै चित्ते पिशाचं प्राह सत्तमः । विमलोदे सरस्यस्मिन्स्नाहि रे पापनुत्तये

Transliteration

vimṛśyeti sa vai citte piśācaṃ prāha sattamaḥ | vimalode sarasyasminsnāhi re pāpanuttaye

Translation

Après avoir médité en son cœur, l’excellent sage dit au piśāca : «Baigne-toi dans ce lac Vimaloda, afin que le péché soit chassé».

Word by Word

• विमृश्य: having reflected
• विमृश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-√मृश् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having reflected

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-निपात (quotative particle)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — pronoun, nominative singular

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• चित्ते: in (his) mind
• चित्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular (in mind)

• पिशाचम्: the piśāca (goblin)
• पिशाचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — he said

• सत्तमः: the best of the good
• सत्तमः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular; उपाधि/विशेषणवत् संज्ञा

• विमल: pure/spotless
• विमल: Adhikarana (Location-qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular; विशेषण

• उदे: in the water/pond
• उदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular; ‘उद’ = water/pond (contextual)

• सरसि: in the lake
• सरसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular (in the lake)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location-qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular; विशेषण (of सरसि)

• स्नाहि: bathe
• स्नाहि: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — bathe!

• रे: hey!
• रे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: रे (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• पापनुत्तये: for the removal of sin
• पापनुत्तये: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप-नुत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Dative singular (for removal); समास: पापस्य नुत्तिः (genitive tatpurusha)

Speaker

A muni/tapasvī (within Skanda’s narration; exact name not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vimalodā-saras

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A venerable sage, after inward deliberation, instructs a piśāca to bathe in the Vimalodā lake for sin-removal.

Characters & Entities

• Piśāca
• Vimaloda/Vimalodaka Saras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha-snāna performed at the right sacred place is portrayed as a direct means for pāpa-kṣaya (removal of sin).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vimaloda/Vimalodaka Saras (a sacred lake/pond) in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) in Vimalodaka Saras for pāpa-nivṛtti (sin-removal).