Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

अब्धयो यत्र सततं दधिक्षीरेक्षुसर्पिषाम् । पंचामृतानां कलशैः स्नपयंति दिनेदिने

Transliteration

abdhayo yatra satataṃ dadhikṣīrekṣusarpiṣām | paṃcāmṛtānāṃ kalaśaiḥ snapayaṃti dinedine

Translation

എവിടെ തൈര്, പാൽ, കരിമ്പിൻ നീര്, നെയ്യ് എന്നിവയുടെ സമുദ്രങ്ങൾ സദാ നിലനിൽക്കുന്നു; ദിനംപ്രതി പഞ്ചാമൃതകലശങ്ങളാൽ പ്രഭുവിനെ അഭിഷേകസ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अब्धयः: oceans/seas
• अब्धयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (where)

• सततम्: continually
• सततम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सततम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: always/continually)

• दधिक्षीरेक्षुसर्पिषाम्: of curd, milk, sugarcane-juice, and ghee
• दधिक्षीरेक्षुसर्पिषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक) + इक्षु (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्पिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (समाहार/इतरेतर); षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (of curd, milk, sugarcane-juice, and ghee)

• पञ्चामृतानाम्: of the five nectars (pañcāmṛta)
• पञ्चामृतानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या) + अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (पञ्च अमृतानि)

• कलशैः: with pots/jars
• कलशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• स्नपयन्ति: they bathe/anoint
• स्नपयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्नप् (धातु, causative sense)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोजकभाव (causative: cause to bathe/anoint)

• दिने: in a day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time-locative/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• दिने: in a day (day after day)
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time-locative/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (day by day)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand abhiṣeka: vast vessels pour curd, milk, sugarcane juice, and ghee—forming ‘oceans’—while priests and devotees bathe the liṅga daily with rows of pañcāmṛta pots, the sanctum shimmering with white and golden streams.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcāmṛta
• Kāśī
• Śiva/Viśveśvara (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Continuous worship—especially abhiṣeka offered with purity—signifies unwavering devotion and yields enduring merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, centered on Śaṅkara’s shrine where daily abhiṣeka is celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pañcāmṛta-snāna/abhiṣeka (ritual bathing) performed daily with pots of sacred substances.