Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

एकैकां पादयोर्दद्यात्तिस्रः पाण्योर्मृदस्तथा । इत्थं शौचं गृही कुर्याद्गंधलेपक्षयावधि

Transliteration

ekaikāṃ pādayordadyāttisraḥ pāṇyormṛdastathā | itthaṃ śaucaṃ gṛhī kuryādgaṃdhalepakṣayāvadhi

Translation

ഓരോ പാദത്തിലും ഓരോ പ്രാവശ്യം മണ്ണ് പുരട്ടണം; കൈകളിൽ അതുപോലെ മൂന്ന് പ്രാവശ്യം. ഗൃഹസ്ഥൻ ഇങ്ങനെ ശൗചം ചെയ്യണം—ദുർഗന്ധവും ലേപവും പൂർണ്ണമായി മാറുന്നതുവരെ.

Word by Word

• एकैकाम्: one each
• एकैकाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; द्विगु/पुनरुक्त-समास (‘one each’)

• पादयोः: on the two feet
• पादयोः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध) / सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), द्विवचन; अत्र अधिकरणार्थे (on the two feet)

• दद्यात्: should apply/give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विध्यर्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तिस्रः: three
• तिस्रः: Karta (Count/subject of ellipsis)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• पाण्योः: on the two hands
• पाण्योः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी, द्विवचन; अत्र अधिकरणार्थे (on the two hands)

• मृदः: (applications of) clay
• मृदः: Karta (Count/subject of ellipsis)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thus/in this manner)

• शौचम्: cleansing/purification
• शौचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• गृही: a householder
• गृही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण (of implied subject: ‘householder’)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विध्यर्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• गन्धलेपक्षयावधि: until the smell and coating are removed
• गन्धलेपक्षयावधि: Sambandha (Limit/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + लेप (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक) + अवधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययप्रयोग (up to the limit of...)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder completes purification, washing hands and feet near a small water vessel; the focus is on cleanliness and readiness, with a subtle path leading toward a ghat/temple in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Householder (Gṛhī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is outcome-based as well as rule-based—cleansing continues until impurity is truly removed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the instruction supports dharmic living in the Kāśī milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Apply one portion of earth to each foot and three to the hands; perform śauca until odor and smear disappear.