Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

गृहीत्वा धारमध्यात्स भस्म प्रेतकरेऽर्पयत् । सोप्यादरात्समादाय भालदेशे न्यवेशयत्

Transliteration

gṛhītvā dhāramadhyātsa bhasma pretakare'rpayat | sopyādarātsamādāya bhāladeśe nyaveśayat

Translation

ധാരയുടെ മദ്ധ്യത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ഭസ്മം എടുത്ത് അവൻ പ്രേതത്തിന്റെ കൈയിൽ അർപ്പിച്ചു; അവനും ആദരത്തോടെ അത് സ്വീകരിച്ച് നെറ്റിയിൽ ധരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु), त्वा-प्रत्यय
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘having taken’

• धारमध्यात्: from the middle of the stream
• धारमध्यात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार (धार प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (मध्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; समासः—धार-मध्य (धारायाः मध्यात्)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• भस्म: ash
• भस्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• प्रेतकरे: in the hand of the preta (ghost)
• प्रेतकरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रेत प्रातिपदिक) + कर (कर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; समासः—प्रेत-कर (प्रेतस्य करे)

• अर्पयत्: placed/handed over
• अर्पयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्पय् (अर्प् धातु, णिच्)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he (that one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (निपात)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also)

• आदरात्: out of respect
• आदरात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावः (ablative of cause/manner)

• समादाय: having taken
• समादाय: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + दा (धातु), ल्यप्-प्रत्यय
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (gerund): ‘having taken up’

• भालदेशे: on the forehead region
• भालदेशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाल (भाल प्रातिपदिक) + देश (देश प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; समासः—भाल-देश (भालस्य देशे)

• न्यवेशयत्: placed/settled
• न्यवेशयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + अव + शी (धातु), णिच्
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī (ghāṭa-dhārā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a Kāśī ghat, a devotee scoops ash from the mid-current and places it into a preta’s hand; the preta, softened by reverence, applies it to the forehead, its form becoming calmer and less fearsome.

Characters & Entities

• Bhasma
• Preta (spirit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a fallen being is uplifted through reverent contact with sanctified substances and Śaiva marks.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Kāśī tīrtha associated with liberation from preta/piśāca conditions, later named Piśācamocana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Receiving sacred ash and placing it on the forehead (bhāla), a classic Śaiva practice.