Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

कूपः कालोदको नाम जराव्याधिविघातकृत् । यदीय जलपानेन मातुःस्तन्यमपानवान्

Transliteration

kūpaḥ kālodako nāma jarāvyādhivighātakṛt | yadīya jalapānena mātuḥstanyamapānavān

Translation

‘കാലോദക’ എന്ന പേരിലുള്ള ഒരു കിണർ ഉണ്ട്; അത് ജരയും രോഗങ്ങളും നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. അതിലെ ജലം കുടിച്ചാൽ മനുഷ്യൻ വീണ്ടും മാതൃസ്തന്യം പാനം ചെയ്തതുപോലെ ആദിമ പ്രാണബലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• कूपः: a well
• कूपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कालोदकः: (the well) named Kāl-odaka / ‘dark-time water’
• कालोदकः: Visheshya (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (kālasya udakam) / नामधेय-विशेष्य

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming/apposition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (indeclinable particle meaning ‘by name/namely’)

• जराव्याधिविघातकृत्: destroyer of old age and disease
• जराव्याधिविघातकृत्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जरा + व्याधि + विघात + कृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (jarā-vyādhi-vighātaṃ karoti iti)

• यदीय: whose
• यदीय: Visheshana (Qualifier of jalapānena)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यदीय (प्रातिपदिक; यद्-सम्बन्धी)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; ‘whose’ (relative possessive)

• जलपानेन: by drinking the water
• जलपानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलपान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (jalasya pānam)

• मातुः: of the mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• स्तन्यम्: breast-milk
• स्तन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• अपानवान्: obtained/drank (it)
• अपानवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपानवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गुणवाचक-विशेषण (possessed/obtained)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kālodaka-kūpa (also implied: Kālatamodaka)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śrotṛ-gaṇa (assembly of sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A shaded stone well within Kāśī; pilgrims draw dark, cool water in brass vessels; an aged devotee drinks and appears renewed, while a Śiva-liṅga shrine stands nearby with lamps and bilva leaves.

Characters & Entities

• Kālodaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred waters are portrayed as restorative and grace-filled, countering decay and affliction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kālodaka Well (Kālodaka-kūpa) associated with the Vṛddhakāleśvara area in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāna (drinking) of the Kālodaka water; its benefits are stated in terms of vitality and health.