Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

पंचगव्येन संस्नाप्य ततः पंचामृतेन वै । यक्षकर्दमलेपेन लिप्त्वा पुष्पैः प्रपूज्य च

Transliteration

paṃcagavyena saṃsnāpya tataḥ paṃcāmṛtena vai | yakṣakardamalepena liptvā puṣpaiḥ prapūjya ca

Translation

അവൻ (അവശിഷ്ടങ്ങളെ) പഞ്ചഗവ്യത്തിൽ സ്നാപിച്ച്, പിന്നെ പഞ്ചാമൃതത്താലും സ്നാനം കഴിപ്പിച്ചു; യക്ഷകർദമലേപം പുരട്ടി പുഷ്പങ്ങളാൽ പൂജയും ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• पञ्चगव्येन: with pañcagavya (five cow-products)
• पञ्चगव्येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चगव्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (पञ्चानां गव्यानां समाहारः)

• संस्नाप्य: having bathed/washed
• संस्नाप्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्- स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया; causative sense contextually ‘having bathed/washed’

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Discourse marker (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (thereafter)

• पञ्चामृतेन: with pañcāmṛta (five nectars)
• पञ्चामृतेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चामृत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु (पञ्चानाम् अमृतानां/मधुरद्रव्याणां समाहारः)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• यक्षकर्दमलेपेन: with a smear of yakṣa-mud/paste
• यक्षकर्दमलेपेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष-कर्दम-लेप (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (लेप-शब्दानुसार), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (यक्षस्य कर्दमः, तस्य लेपः)

• लिप्त्वा: having smeared
• लिप्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having smeared/anointed)

• पुष्पैः: with flowers
• पुष्पैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• प्रपूज्य: having duly worshipped
• प्रपूज्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having worshipped)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (as recipient tīrtha)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small ritual space: Dhanaṃjaya carefully bathes the bone-relics with pañcagavya and pañcāmṛta, then applies a sacred paste and offers flowers; vessels, conch, and a calm, reverent posture dominate the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcagavya
• Pañcāmṛta
• Yakṣa-kardama
• Pūjā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rites performed with purity and devotion sanctify transitional moments (death-rites) and express dharmic care for the departed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tirtha is named in this verse; it occurs within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative frame and aligns with Gaṅgā-oriented sacred practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing with pañcagavya and pañcāmṛta, anointing with yakṣa-kardama paste, and worship with flowers.