Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

नित्यं त्रिषवणस्नायी नित्यं भिक्षाकृताशनः । लिंगपूजार्चको नित्यमित्थं व्यासो वसेत्पुरा

Transliteration

nityaṃ triṣavaṇasnāyī nityaṃ bhikṣākṛtāśanaḥ | liṃgapūjārcako nityamitthaṃ vyāso vasetpurā

Translation

നിത്യമായി മൂന്നു സന്ധ്യാകാലങ്ങളിലും സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത്, ഭിക്ഷയായി ലഭിച്ച ആഹാരമേ സ്വീകരിച്ച്, ദിവസേന ശിവലിംഗപൂജ ചെയ്യുന്നവനായി—ഇങ്ങനെ വ്യാസൻ കാശീപുരിയിൽ വസിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• त्रिषवणस्नायी: one who bathes at the three daily times
• त्रिषवणस्नायी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि- सवण- स्नायिन् (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि (संख्या); सवण; स्नायिन् < √स्ना (धातु) + णिनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः: त्रिषु सवणेषु स्नायी (one who bathes at three times)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्; क्रियाविशेषण

• भिक्षाकृताशनः: one whose food is obtained by alms
• भिक्षाकृताशनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा-कृत-आशन (प्रातिपदिक; भिक्षा; कृत < √कृ (धातु) + क्त; आशन < √अश् (धातु) + ल्युट्/अन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासार्थः: भिक्षया कृतम् आशनम् यस्य (भिक्षान्नभोजी)

• लिङ्गपूजार्चकः: worshipper who performs worship of the liṅga
• लिङ्गपूजार्चकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग-पूजा-अर्चक (प्रातिपदिक; लिङ्ग; पूजा; अर्चक < √अर्च् (धातु) + ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः: लिङ्गस्य पूजायाः अर्चकः

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्; क्रियाविशेषण

• इत्थम्: thus, in this manner
• इत्थम्: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• वसेत्: should dwell
• वसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly, in olden times
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/once)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative norm)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa in Kāśī: at a ghat at dawn with water dripping from matted hair, then walking with a begging bowl through narrow lanes, finally seated before a simple Śiva-liṅga shrine offering bilva leaves and water.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Kāśī
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī sanctifies disciplined living: purity through regular bathing, simplicity through alms, and devotion through daily liṅga-worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), presented as the city fit for Vyāsa’s regulated, Śaiva-centered life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Triṣavaṇa snāna (three daily baths), bhikṣā-based eating, and daily Śiva-liṅga pūjā.