Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

सचैलमादौ संस्नाय चक्रपुष्करिणीजले । संतर्प्यदेवासपितॄन्ब्राह्मणांश्च तथार्थिनः

Transliteration

sacailamādau saṃsnāya cakrapuṣkariṇījale | saṃtarpyadevāsapitṝnbrāhmaṇāṃśca tathārthinaḥ

Translation

D’abord, après s’être baigné —même vêtu— dans les eaux de Cakrapuṣkariṇī, qu’il accomplisse le tarpana pour contenter les dieux et les ancêtres, et qu’il fasse aussi l’aumône aux brāhmaṇas et aux nécessiteux.

Word by Word

• सचैलम्: with clothes (on)
• सचैलम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स-चैल (प्रातिपदिक; स + चैल)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial), अर्थः—‘वस्त्रसहितम्’

• आदौ: at first
• आदौ: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (temporal/sequence adverb)

• संस्नाय: having bathed
• संस्नाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done); धातु—स्ना (to bathe) उपसर्ग—सम्

• चक्रपुष्करिणीजले: in the water of the Cakra-lake
• चक्रपुष्करिणीजले: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र-पुष्करिणी-जल (प्रातिपदिक; चक्र + पुष्करिणी + जल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• संतर्प्य: having satisfied (fed/propitiated)
• संतर्प्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + तृप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); धातु—तृप् (to satisfy) उपसर्ग—सम्

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; कर्म (object)

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; कर्म (object)

• ब्राह्मणान्: the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; कर्म (object)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• अर्थिनः: the supplicants/beggars
• अर्थिनः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; कर्म (object)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakrapuṣkariṇī

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at dawn steps into a lotus-filled sacred tank (puṣkariṇī), bathing with cloth on; afterward he offers water with cupped hands toward the sun and to the pitṛs, while attendants distribute food and coins to brāhmaṇas and the poor on the bank.

Characters & Entities

• Cakrapuṣkariṇī
• Devas
• Pitṛs
• Brāhmaṇas
• The needy (arthin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is not only travel but dharmic purification—snāna, pitṛ-tarpaṇa, and charity integrate devotion with social and ancestral duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cakrapuṣkariṇī is named as the starting water-body for the pilgrim’s purificatory bath.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at Cakrapuṣkariṇī, followed by tarpaṇa for devas and pitṛs, and dāna/feeding for brāhmaṇas and the needy.