Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

सा प्रत्यहं ज्ञानवाप्यां स्नायं स्नायं शिवालये । संमार्जनादि कर्माणि कुरुतेऽनन्यमानसा

Transliteration

sā pratyahaṃ jñānavāpyāṃ snāyaṃ snāyaṃ śivālaye | saṃmārjanādi karmāṇi kurute'nanyamānasā

Translation

അവൾ പ്രതിദിനം ജ്ഞാനവാപിയിൽ വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത്, ശിവാലയത്തിൽ തൂത്തുവാരൽ-ശുചീകരണം മുതലായ സേവാകർമ്മങ്ങൾ അനന്യമനസ്സോടെ ചെയ്യുന്നു।

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• प्रत्यहम्: every day
• प्रत्यहम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति + अहन् (अव्ययीभाव-समास)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय; समासः अव्ययीभाव (प्रति अहः)

• ज्ञान: knowledge
• ज्ञान: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• वाप्याम्: in the ‘knowledge-well’ (sacred tank)
• वाप्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक) [ज्ञान-वाप्याम्]
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ज्ञानस्य वापी)

• स्नायम्: bathing (repeatedly)
• स्नायम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्नाय (कृदन्त; √स्ना (धातु) + यत्/ल्यप्-प्रायः अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययप्राय प्रयोगः; पुनरुक्ति (स्नायं स्नायं) = ‘again and again bathing’

• स्नायम्: again and again
• स्नायम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्नाय (कृदन्त/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: पुनरुक्त-अव्यय; तीव्रता/आवृत्तिवाचक

• शिवालये: in the temple of Śiva
• शिवालये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य आलयः)

• संमार्जन: sweeping/cleaning
• संमार्जन: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संमार्जन (प्रातिपदिक; √मृज् (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, समासाङ्ग (आदि-समासपूर्वपद)

• आदि: and so on
• आदि: Qualifier (विशेषणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय ‘etc.’ (समासाङ्ग)

• कर्माणि: tasks/ritual acts
• कर्माणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• कुरुते: does/performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अनन्य: undistracted/exclusive
• अनन्य: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; ‘not other, exclusive’ (समासाङ्ग)

• मानसा: with an unwavering mind
• मानसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक) [अनन्य-मानसा]
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (अनन्यं मानसं यस्याः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñānavāpī

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (frame) / ‘muni’ within the episode

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn in Kāśī, the maiden repeatedly bathes at Jñānavāpī; then she enters a Śiva temple and performs sweeping and cleaning with absorbed devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Jñāna-vāpī (Kāśī)
• Śiva
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-minded devotion is shown through simple daily disciplines—sacred bathing and humble temple service—presented as powerful dharma in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñāna-vāpī in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), along with the Śivālaya (Śiva-temple) context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily snāna (bathing) at Jñāna-vāpī and sevā in Śiva’s temple, including saṃmārjana (sweeping/cleaning) and related duties.