Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

इदं विष्णुरिमं जप्त्वा लिंपेदंगानि मृत्स्नया । मृदैकया शिरः क्षाल्य द्वाभ्यां नाभेस्तथोपरि

Transliteration

idaṃ viṣṇurimaṃ japtvā liṃpedaṃgāni mṛtsnayā | mṛdaikayā śiraḥ kṣālya dvābhyāṃ nābhestathopari

Translation

‘ഇദം വിഷ്ണുഃ’ മന്ത്രം ജപിച്ച് ശുദ്ധിമണ്ണുകൊണ്ട് അവയവങ്ങളിൽ ലേപനം ചെയ്യണം; ഒരു പങ്ക് മണ്ണുകൊണ്ട് ശിരസ് കഴുകി, രണ്ട് പങ്ക് കൊണ്ട് നാഭിയും അതിന്റെ മുകളിലഭാഗവും ശുദ്ധീകരിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• idam: this (mantra)
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu / (one) devoted to Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• imam: this
• imam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• japtvā: having recited
• japtvā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; धातु: जप्

• limpet: should smear/anoint
• limpet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: lip (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• aṅgāni: limbs
• aṅgāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• mṛtsnayā: with clay/earth
• mṛtsnayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtsnā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण

• mṛdā: with clay
• mṛdā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण

• ekayā: with one (portion)
• ekayā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• śiraḥ: head
• śiraḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• kṣālya: having washed
• kṣālya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣāl (धातु) + य (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); धातु: क्षाल्; ‘क्षाल्य’ = having washed

• dvābhyām: with two (portions)
• dvābhyām: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), द्विवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• nābheḥ: of the navel
• nābheḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nābhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• tathā: thus/likewise
• tathā: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• upari: above
• upari: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upari (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb/preposition)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-Gaṅgā snāna (mṛdā-śuddhi aṅga)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bather at the riverbank rubs cleansing earth over arms and torso while softly reciting a Viṣṇu-mantra; small earthen bowl and wet cloth nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Physical cleansing is integrated with remembrance of the Divine, turning hygiene into sacred practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography; the verse details a general purification step.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Smearing/cleansing with earth (mṛtsnā) while reciting a Viṣṇu-mantra, with specified measures for different body areas.