Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

बाह्यादायांतमालोक्य त्वरिता च जलाशनैः । तांबूलैर्व्यजनैश्चैव पादसंवाहनादिभिः

Transliteration

bāhyādāyāṃtamālokya tvaritā ca jalāśanaiḥ | tāṃbūlairvyajanaiścaiva pādasaṃvāhanādibhiḥ

Translation

外から帰る夫を見たなら、急いで仕えよ。水と食を備え、檳榔（タンブーラ）を差し出し、扇であおぎ、足を揉むなど、もろもろの奉仕をなせ。

Word by Word

• बाह्य: external, from outside
• बाह्य: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (आयान्तम् इत्यस्य)

• आयान्तम्: coming (towards), arriving
• आयान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त/Present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: आ

• आलोक्य: having seen
• आलोक्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; उपसर्ग: आ

• त्वरिता: hastened, quickly (as one who is quick)
• त्वरिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वरित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (सा/या इत्यर्थे)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• जलाशनैः: with water and food (refreshments)
• जलाशनैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• ताम्बूलैः: with betel (leaf preparations)
• ताम्बूलैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्बूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• व्यजनैः: with fans
• व्यजनैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• पादसंवाहनादिभिः: with foot-massage and the like
• पादसंवाहनादिभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद + संवाहन + आदि (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; समासः: पादसंवाहन (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: पादानां संवाहनम्) + आदि (समाहार/आदिशब्द)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wife sees her husband arriving from outside and rushes forward with a water vessel, food tray, betel leaves, a fan, and prepares for foot-massage—an idealized gṛhastha welcome.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent service and attentive care within household life are framed as dharmic practice that sustains harmony and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s sacred frame, implicitly tying dharmic living to the sanctity of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practical household observances are listed—offering water/food, tāmbūla, fanning, and pādasaṃvāhana—presented as dharmic duties rather than formal temple ritual.