Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

स्वापयामास तन्वंगीं स्रवच्छीतांबुशीतले । दृष्ट्वोपचार्यमाणां तामित्थं बुद्धिशरीरिणी

Transliteration

svāpayāmāsa tanvaṃgīṃ sravacchītāṃbuśītale | dṛṣṭvopacāryamāṇāṃ tāmitthaṃ buddhiśarīriṇī

Translation

彼女は、冷たい水が滴り落ちてひんやりとしたその面の上に、細身の姫を眠らせた。かく手当てされる様子を見て、分別ある賢者はそれにふさわしく語った。

Word by Word

• स्वापयामास: caused to sleep / laid to rest
• स्वापयामास: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्वप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत) परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd) एकवचनम्; causative (णिच्) ‘स्वापय’

• तन्वङ्गीम्: the slender-limbed (woman)
• तन्वङ्गीम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु-अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक; तनु + अङ्गी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्; विशेष्य-विशेषणभावः (slender-limbed woman)

• स्रवत्: flowing
• स्रवत्: Adhikaraṇa (Location qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्रु (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तम् (present active participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्—‘शीतले’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शीताम्बुशीतले: on a cool (spot) with cold water
• शीताम्बुशीतले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीत-अम्बु-शीतल (प्रातिपदिक; शीत + अम्बु + शीतल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी) एकवचनम्; अधिकरण (on a cool place with cold water)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive/gerund)

• उपचार्यमाणाम्: being attended/treated
• उपचार्यमाणाम्: Karman (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-चर् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्तम् (present passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘ताम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्ययम् (adverb: thus/in this manner)

• बुद्धिशरीरिणी: the one embodied as intellect (i.e., a wise woman)
• बुद्धिशरीरिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि-शरीरिणी (प्रातिपदिक; बुद्धि + शरीरिणी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्; कर्तृपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The lady sleeps on a cool slab with thin streams of cold water trickling nearby; a composed, intelligent woman watches the attendants’ care and prepares to speak, her posture upright and calm.

Characters & Entities

• buddhi-śarīriṇī (wise woman, unnamed)
• cooling water (śītāmbu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After compassionate action, wise counsel should follow—dharma unites soothing care with discerning guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-kṣetra frame is present, but no specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse describes cooling rest and attentive treatment.