Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

नोपसर्पंति वै दुष्टाः प्रातःस्नायिजन क्वचित् । दृष्टादृष्टफलं यस्मात्प्रातःस्नानं समाचरेत्

Transliteration

nopasarpaṃti vai duṣṭāḥ prātaḥsnāyijana kvacit | dṛṣṭādṛṣṭaphalaṃ yasmātprātaḥsnānaṃ samācaret

Translation

പ്രാതഃസ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവനെ ദുഷ്ടർ ഒരിക്കലും സമീപിക്കുകയില്ല; പ്രാതഃസ്നാനം ദൃഷ്ട-അദൃഷ്ട ഫലങ്ങൾ നൽകുന്നതിനാൽ അതു ആചരിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• उपसर्पन्ति: approach
• उपसर्पन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + सृप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• दुष्टाः: wicked (people)
• दुष्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; √दुष्/दुष्ट-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• प्रातःस्नायि-जनः: a morning bather/person who bathes in the morning
• प्रातःस्नायि-जनः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रातः (अव्यय) + स्नायिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रातः स्नायिनां जनः = morning-bathers)

• क्वचित्: ever/anywhere
• क्वचित्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: at any time/anywhere)

• दृष्टादृष्टफलम्: seen and unseen results
• दृष्टादृष्टफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + अदृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (दृष्टं च अदृष्टं च) + तत्पुरुष (दृष्टादृष्टयोः फलम्)

• यस्मात्: because (from which reason)
• यस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रातःस्नानम्: morning bath
• प्रातःस्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रातः (अव्यय) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• समाचरेत्: should practice/perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prātaḥ-snāna at Gaṅgā in Kāśī

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi audience; immediate addressee context continues toward Agastya (Kalaśodbhava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined bather at dawn, radiant and composed; shadowy figures representing ‘wicked influences’ remain distant on the ghāṭa, unable to approach; the river glows with sanctity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A simple daily niyama like morning bathing is said to bring tangible benefits and subtle spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), though it does not specify a named ghāṭa or tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To regularly perform prātaḥsnāna, emphasizing its dual (seen/unseen) fruits.