Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

आम्लेन ताम्रशुद्धिः स्याच्छुद्धिः कांस्यस्य भस्मना । संशुद्धी रजसा नार्यास्तटिन्या वेगतः शुचिः

Transliteration

āmlena tāmraśuddhiḥ syācchuddhiḥ kāṃsyasya bhasmanā | saṃśuddhī rajasā nāryāstaṭinyā vegataḥ śuciḥ

Translation

Tembaga dimurnikan dengan asam; perunggu dimurnikan dengan abu. Seorang wanita menjadi suci setelah masa haidnya; dan sungai dianggap suci oleh kekuatan arusnya yang mengalir.

Word by Word

• आम्लेन: with sour (acid)
• आम्लेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आम्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; साधन-करणार्थे (instrumental)

• ताम्र-शुद्धिः: purification of copper
• ताम्र-शुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ताम्रस्य शुद्धिः)

• स्यात्: would be / is possible
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• शुद्धिः: purification
• शुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कांस्यस्य: of bell-metal/bronze
• कांस्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कांस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• भस्मना: with ash
• भस्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• संशुद्धिः: complete purification
• संशुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सं + शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक-प्रातिपदिक

• रजसा: with dust
• रजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• नार्याः: of a woman
• नार्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• तटिन्या: by/with a river
• तटिन्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तटिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• वेगतः: swiftly / by force (of current)
• वेगतः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) = 'वेगात्/वेगेन प्रकारेण'

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नारी-शुद्धेः/नारी)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā at Kāśī (implicit)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: vessels of copper and bronze being cleansed (acid and ash), a woman completing her period returning to ritual life, and a river at Kāśī rushing in a strong current—symbolizing distinct purifiers.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches that purity is context-specific: different beings and materials have distinct dharmic means of becoming fit (śuci) again.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it appears within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s broader dharma-teaching context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Rules of purification are stated: copper by acid, bronze by ash; a woman’s purification after menses; a river’s purity by its natural flow.