Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

रसयेत्तस्य रसना हरनामाक्षरामृतम् । शिवांघ्रिकमलामोदाद्घ्राणं नैव जिघृक्षति

Transliteration

rasayettasya rasanā haranāmākṣarāmṛtam | śivāṃghrikamalāmodādghrāṇaṃ naiva jighṛkṣati

Translation

उसकी जीभ हर-नाम के अक्षरों के अमृत का आस्वाद लेती है; शिव के चरण-कमलों की सुगंध से मतवाला उसका नासिका-इन्द्रिय अब किसी अन्य गंध की चाह नहीं करता।

Word by Word

• रसयेत्: causes to taste / makes relish
• रसयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रसय् (धातु; रस-प्रातिपदिकात् णिच्)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; णिजन्त-क्रिया (causative)

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्

• रसना: tongue
• रसना: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रसना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• हरि-नाम-अक्षर-अमृतम्: the nectar of the syllables of Hari’s name
• हरि-नाम-अक्षर-अमृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक) + नाम (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक) + अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हरिनाम्नः अक्षराणि तेषाम् अमृतम्)

• शिव-अङ्घ्रि-कमल-आमोदात्: from the fragrance of Shiva’s lotus-feet
• शिव-अङ्घ्रि-कमल-आमोदात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्घ्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + कमल (प्रातिपदिक) + आमोद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य अङ्घ्रिकमलस्य आमोदः तस्मात्)

• घ्राणम्: nose
• घ्राणम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घ्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• जिघृक्षति: desires to smell
• जिघृक्षति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: घ्रā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; सन्नन्त-इच्छार्थक (desiderative)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer (traditional: sages/Śaunaka-group or a king; specific speaker not provided in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī devotee absorbed in japa; the syllables of Hara’s name appear as luminous nectar on the tongue, while a subtle fragrance emanates from Śiva’s lotus-feet, overpowering all worldly perfumes.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Śiva’s lotus-feet
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Nāma-bhakti becomes ‘nectar’ that surpasses worldly taste and redirects desire toward Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as the devotional environment where Śiva’s name and feet are treated as the highest ‘rasa’.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa/constant savoring of the divine name (Hara-nāma), a core devotional discipline.