Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधादिभिर्यज्ञैर्यत्फलं प्राप्यतेखिलैः । पंचामृतानां स्नपनाद्विश्वेशे तदवाप्यते

Transliteration

aśvamedhādibhiryajñairyatphalaṃ prāpyatekhilaiḥ | paṃcāmṛtānāṃ snapanādviśveśe tadavāpyate

Translation

അശ്വമേധാദി എല്ലാ യാഗങ്ങളാൽ ലഭിക്കുന്ന ഫലം, വിശ്വേശ്വരനു പഞ്ചാമൃതസ്നാനം നടത്തുന്നതിലൂടെ തന്നെ ലഭിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• अश्वमेधादिभिः: by Aśvamedha and other (sacrifices)
• अश्वमेधादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—अश्वमेधादयः (अश्वमेध-प्रभृतयः)

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्राप्यते: is obtained
• प्राप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)

• अखिलैः: by all (of them)
• अखिलैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), बहुवचन; ‘यज्ञैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पञ्चामृतानाम्: of the five nectars (pañcāmṛta)
• पञ्चामृतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—पञ्चानाम् अमृतानाम्

• स्नपनात्: from bathing/ablution
• स्नपनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान/Ablative), एकवचन

• विश्वेशे: in/at Viśveśa (Lord of the universe)
• विश्वेशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• तत्: that (result)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अन्वयः—‘तत् (फलम्)’

• अवाप्यते: is attained
• अवाप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara (Kāśī Viśvanātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside the Kāśī Viśveśvara sanctum: priests pour pañcāmṛta (milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar) over the shining liṅga; lamps flicker; devotees stand with folded hands; vessels and conch are arranged like a yajña-altar substitute.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśvara
• Aśvamedha
• Pañcāmṛta
• Abhiṣeka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual service (abhiṣeka) to Viśveśvara in Kāśī is extolled as equal to grand Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśveśvara (Kāśī Viśvanātha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pañcāmṛta-snapana/abhiṣeka—bathing the deity with the five nectars.