Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तैर्जलैः स्नापयांचक्रे त्वत्स्पृष्टैरन्यदेहिभिः । तुषारैर्जाड्यविधुरैर्जंजपूकौघहारिभिः

Transliteration

tairjalaiḥ snāpayāṃcakre tvatspṛṣṭairanyadehibhiḥ | tuṣārairjāḍyavidhurairjaṃjapūkaughahāribhiḥ

Translation

ಆ ಜಲಗಳಿಂದ ಅವನು ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಿಸಿದನು—ಇತರ ದೇಹಧಾರಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಅಸ್ಪೃಶ್ಯವಾದರೂ, ನಿನ್ನ ಸ್ಪರ್ಶದಿಂದ ಅವು ಶೀತಲ ತೂಷಾರಬಿಂದುಗಳಂತೆ ಆಗಿ ಜಡತೆಯನ್ನು ದೂರಮಾಡಿ ಸೊಳ್ಳೆಗಳ ಗುಂಪನ್ನು ಓಡಿಸುತ್ತವೆ।

Word by Word

• तैः: with those
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/सह), बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम-विशेषणम् (with those)

• जलैः: with waters
• जलैः: Karana (Instrument/करणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• स्नापयाम्: (he) caused to bathe
• स्नापयाम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; णिजन्त-धातोः रूपम् (caused to bathe)

• चक्रे: did / performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• त्वत्स्पृष्टैः: touched by you
• त्वत्स्पृष्टैः: Karana (Instrument/करणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम) + स्पृष्ट (कृदन्त; √स्पृश्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (त्वया स्पृष्टाः); पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; भूतकृदन्तः (क्त)

• अन्यदेहिभिः: by other embodied beings
• अन्यदेहिभिः: Sahakari (Associate/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः (अन्यः देही); पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• तुषारैः: with dews / frost
• तुषारैः: Karana (Instrument/करणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुषार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• जाड्यविधुरैः: dispelling dullness
• जाड्यविधुरैः: Karana (Instrument/करणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जाड्य (प्रातिपदिक) + विधुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (जाड्येन विधुराः = free from dullness); पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• जंजपूकौघहारिभिः: removing swarms of leeches
• जंजपूकौघहारिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जंजपूक (प्रातिपदिक) + ओघ (प्रातिपदिक) + हारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (जंजपूकानाम् ओघं हरन्ति ये); पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra tīrtha-jala (Gaṅgā/Manikarnikā-associated sanctified waters, implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs abhiṣeka/snāpana with cool, dew-like sacred water that seems to shimmer; the atmosphere suggests the dispersal of lethargy and tiny swarming pests, symbolizing inner distractions fleeing.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Tīrtha-jala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with the divine transforms even the inaccessible into grace-filled purification—Śiva’s touch makes the waters liberating.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sacred water-source used for liṅga-snapana, depicted as extraordinarily potent and protected.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snapana/abhiṣeka using the specially manifested tīrtha waters.