Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 220

Devanagari script

देवस्य दक्षिणे भागे तत्र वापी शुभोदका । तदंबुप्राशनं नृणामपुनर्भवहेतवे

Transliteration

devasya dakṣiṇe bhāge tatra vāpī śubhodakā | tadaṃbuprāśanaṃ nṛṇāmapunarbhavahetave

Translation

ദേവന്റെ തെക്കുഭാഗത്ത് ശുഭജലമുള്ള ഒരു വാപി (കിണർ) ഉണ്ട്. ആ ജലം പാനം ചെയ്യുന്നത് മനുഷ്യർക്കു പുനർജന്മമുക്തിക്കു കാരണമാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दक्षिणे: on the southern
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; 'भागे' इति विशेषण (qualifier)

• भागे: in the part/side
• भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• वापी: a pond/well
• वापी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• शुभोदका: having auspicious water
• शुभोदका: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'वापी' इति विशेषण

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'अंबुप्राशनम्' इति विशेषण (that)

• अंबु-प्राशनम्: drinking of the water
• अंबु-प्राशनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंबु + प्राशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नृणाम्: of men/people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपुनर्भव-हेतवे: for the cause of non-rebirth
• अपुनर्भव-हेतवे: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + पुनर्भव + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/हेतु-अर्थे (for the purpose/cause)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śubhodakā Vāpī (auspicious-water well) on the southern side of the deity (as per this passage)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stone-lined well with clear water on the southern side of a Śiva shrine; pilgrims with folded hands take a small sip after ācamana; bells and lamps frame the sanctity of the spot.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Vāpī (sacred well)
• Śubhodaka
• Apunarbhava (mokṣa)
• Deva (temple-deity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sanctity extends to its waters; even simple, reverent acts can be framed as steps toward mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred vāpī (well/tank) on the southern side of the deity’s shrine in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ambu-prāśana—sipping/drinking the well’s sacred water for apunarbhava (freedom from rebirth).