Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

न जलाप्लुतदेहस्य स्नानमित्यभिधीयते । स स्नातो यो दमस्नातः शुचिः शुद्धमनोमलः

Transliteration

na jalāplutadehasya snānamityabhidhīyate | sa snāto yo damasnātaḥ śuciḥ śuddhamanomalaḥ

Translation

ການໃຫ້ຮ່າງກາຍຊຸ່ມນ້ຳຢ່າງດຽວ ບໍ່ໄດ້ເອີ້ນວ່າ ‘ອາບນ້ຳ’ ຢ່າງແທ້. ຜູ້ທີ່ອາບແທ້ຄືຜູ້ທີ່ອາບດ້ວຍດະມະ—ບໍລິສຸດ ແລະມົນທິນໃນໃຈຖືກຊຳລະແລ້ວ.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• जलाप्लुतदेहस्य: of (one) whose body is immersed in water
• जलाप्लुतदेहस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + आप्लुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (जलेन आप्लुतः देहः यस्य) = ‘of one whose body is immersed in water’

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्तृस्थानीयं/विधेय (what is called ‘bath’)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• अभिधीयते: is called
• अभिधीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘is called/said’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्नातः: bathed
• स्नातः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (having bathed)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• दमस्नातः: one bathed in self-control
• दमस्नातः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दम (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दमे स्नातः) ‘bathed in self-control’

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• शुद्धमनोमलः: whose mental impurity is purified
• शुद्धमनोमलः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (शुद्धं मनोमलं यस्य सः) ‘whose mind-impurity is cleansed’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā snāna in Kāśī (reinterpreted)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two figures at a ghāṭa: one merely splashes water with distracted eyes; the other stands calm, hands in añjali, a luminous aura around the head labeled ‘दमन-स्नान’. The river reflects the second as crystal-clear, while the first reflection is murky—symbolizing mano-mala.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External bathing is incomplete without inner restraint; the real cleansing is removal of mental defilement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kāśī’s pilgrimage framework, the verse teaches that Kāśī’s gift is fulfilled by inner discipline, not water alone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice dama (self-control) as the essential ‘bath’ accompanying any physical snāna.