Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 220

Devanagari script

देवस्य दक्षिणे भागे तत्र वापी शुभोदका । तदंबुप्राशनं नृणामपुनर्भवहेतवे

Transliteration

devasya dakṣiṇe bhāge tatra vāpī śubhodakā | tadaṃbuprāśanaṃ nṛṇāmapunarbhavahetave

Translation

Au côté méridional de la Divinité se trouve un puits aux eaux de bon augure. En boire devient pour les hommes une cause de délivrance de la renaissance.

Word by Word

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दक्षिणे: on the southern
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; 'भागे' इति विशेषण (qualifier)

• भागे: in the part/side
• भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• वापी: a pond/well
• वापी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• शुभोदका: having auspicious water
• शुभोदका: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'वापी' इति विशेषण

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'अंबुप्राशनम्' इति विशेषण (that)

• अंबु-प्राशनम्: drinking of the water
• अंबु-प्राशनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंबु + प्राशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नृणाम्: of men/people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपुनर्भव-हेतवे: for the cause of non-rebirth
• अपुनर्भव-हेतवे: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + पुनर्भव + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/हेतु-अर्थे (for the purpose/cause)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śubhodakā Vāpī (auspicious-water well) on the southern side of the deity (as per this passage)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stone-lined well with clear water on the southern side of a Śiva shrine; pilgrims with folded hands take a small sip after ācamana; bells and lamps frame the sanctity of the spot.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Vāpī (sacred well)
• Śubhodaka
• Apunarbhava (mokṣa)
• Deva (temple-deity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sanctity extends to its waters; even simple, reverent acts can be framed as steps toward mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred vāpī (well/tank) on the southern side of the deity’s shrine in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ambu-prāśana—sipping/drinking the well’s sacred water for apunarbhava (freedom from rebirth).