Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

दिव्यौषधैर्यथा रोगा लोभेन च यथा गुणाः । यथा ग्रीष्मोष्मसंपत्तिरगाधह्रद मज्जनात्

Transliteration

divyauṣadhairyathā rogā lobhena ca yathā guṇāḥ | yathā grīṣmoṣmasaṃpattiragādhahrada majjanāt

Translation

जसे दिव्य औषधांनी रोग शांत होतात आणि जसा लोभाने गुणांचा नाश होतो; तसेच जशी ग्रीष्माची तीव्र उष्णता अगाध सरोवरात डुबकी मारल्याने शमते—

Word by Word

• दिव्यौषधैः: by divine medicines
• दिव्यौषधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + औषध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारय: ‘दिव्याः औषधयः’

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Comparative connector (उपमा-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा/प्रकार-वाचक

• रोगाः: diseases
• रोगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• लोभेन: by greed
• लोभेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction ‘and’)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Comparative connector (उपमा-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा/प्रकार-वाचक

• गुणाः: qualities, virtues
• गुणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Comparative connector (उपमा-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा/प्रकार-वाचक

• ग्रीष्मोष्मसम्पत्तिः: the onset/accumulation of summer heat
• ग्रीष्मोष्मसम्पत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रीष्म (प्रातिपदिक) + ऊष्म (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (समाहार): ‘ग्रीष्मस्य ऊष्मा’ + ‘सम्पत्ति’ = ‘accumulation/attainment of summer-heat’

• अगाधह्रद: of a deep lake
• अगाधह्रद: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगाध (प्रातिपदिक) + ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन (Genitive/6th, Singular) (सम्बन्धे); कर्मधारय: ‘अगाधः ह्रदः’ = ‘a deep lake’

• मज्जनात्: from bathing/immersion
• मज्जनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मज्जन (प्रातिपदिक; √मज्ज् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (contextual)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Allegorical triad: a healer administering divine herbs to a sick person; a virtuous figure losing a garland of qualities as a greedy figure grabs gold; a traveler plunging into a deep cool lake under blazing summer sun—hinting that Gaṅgā offers the supreme ‘cooling’ relief from moral heat and sin.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse contrasts causes of healing and decline—preparing the teaching that Gaṅgā’s contact heals spiritual afflictions as surely as medicine heals disease.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā in Kāśī, approached through the imagery of immersion that cools and restores.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Majjana/snānā (immersion or bathing) is alluded to through the deep-lake example, supporting the theme of purificatory bathing in sacred waters.