Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

प्रसंगतः स्नानविधिं वक्ष्यामि कलशोद्भव । विधिस्नानं यतः प्राहुः स्नानाच्छतगुणोत्तरम्

Transliteration

prasaṃgataḥ snānavidhiṃ vakṣyāmi kalaśodbhava | vidhisnānaṃ yataḥ prāhuḥ snānācchataguṇottaram

Translation

ഇപ്പോൾ പ്രസംഗക്രമത്തിൽ, ഹേ കലശോദ്ഭവാ, ഞാൻ സ്നാനവിധി വിവരിക്കുന്നു; വിധിപൂർവം ചെയ്ത സ്നാനം സാധാരണ സ്നാനത്തേക്കാൾ ശതഗുണം അധിക ഫലം നൽകുമെന്നു പറയുന്നു।

Word by Word

• प्रसङ्गतः: incidentally/from the context
• प्रसङ्गतः: Hetu/Adhikaraṇa (Cause/Context/हेतु/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रसङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): पञ्चमी-अर्थे (from the occasion/context)

• स्नानविधिम्: the procedure of bathing
• स्नानविधिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (स्नानस्य विधिः)

• वक्ष्यामि: I shall tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कलशोद्भव: O one born from the pot (Agastya)
• कलशोद्भव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कलशात् उद्भवः)

• विधिस्नानम्: ritual/proper bathing
• विधिस्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (विधिना कृतं स्नानम् / विधेः स्नानम्)

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (causal indeclinable: because)

• प्राहुः: they have said
• प्राहुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्नानात्: than/from (ordinary) bathing
• स्नानात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• शतगुणोत्तरम्: a hundred times superior
• शतगुणोत्तरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (शतगुणैः उत्तरम् = a hundredfold superior)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-Gaṅgā snāna (vidhi emphasis)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kalaśodbhava (Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-teacher addressing Agastya (Kalaśodbhava), gesturing toward the river as if outlining steps of ritual bathing; disciples listen; palm-leaf manuscripts and kuśa grass nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Purāṇic dharma, intention and correct procedure (vidhi) intensify the spiritual fruit of an act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī; the verse introduces ritual method rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A promise to teach snāna-vidhi, emphasizing that rule-based bathing (vidhi-snānā) multiplies merit.