Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

विश्वभर्तुरुमास्पर्शसुखातिसुखकारिभिः । महावभृथसुस्नान महाशुद्धिविधायिभिः

Transliteration

viśvabharturumāsparśasukhātisukhakāribhiḥ | mahāvabhṛthasusnāna mahāśuddhividhāyibhiḥ

Translation

विश्वधारक प्रभूला उमा-स्पर्शाने परम सुख देणाऱ्या कर्मांनी, आणि महाशुद्धी घडविणाऱ्या महान् अवभृथ-स्नानाने।

Word by Word

• viśva-bhartṛ-umāsparśa-sukha-ati-sukha-kāribhiḥ: by (things) causing supreme bliss from the touch of Umā of the sustainer of the universe
• viśva-bhartṛ-umāsparśa-sukha-ati-sukha-kāribhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + umā (प्रातिपदिक) + sparśa (प्रातिपदिक) + sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + ati (अव्यय) + sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + kārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (kārin-śabda) — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; adjectival

• mahā-vabhṛtha-su-snānā: great auspicious vabhṛtha-bath
• mahā-vabhṛtha-su-snānā: Karma/Viśeṣya (Object/Qualified noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + vabhṛtha (प्रातिपदिक) + su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular

• mahā-śuddhi-vidhāyibhiḥ: by (those/things) that bring about great purity
• mahā-śuddhi-vidhāyibhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + vi-√dhā (धातु) + -yin (कृत् प्रत्यय) → vidhāyin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; कर्तरि कृदन्त (vidhāyin) — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; agentive derivative

Speaker

Narrative context (Kāśī Khaṇḍa tradition: Skanda to Agastya); immediate speaker not explicit in this verse

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame; not explicit in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand ablution scene: Śiva as Viśvabhartṛ is honored; Umā’s gentle touch is shown as a radiant blessing; devotees perform a ‘mahā-avabhṛtha’ bath with shimmering waters and ritual vessels, conveying total purification.

Characters & Entities

• Umā
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred bathing and devotion associated with Śiva and Umā are presented as sources of deep joy and profound purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s setting is Kāśī, and the sequence leads into the praise and naming of the Śiva-tīrtha known as Jñānoda.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mahāvabhṛtha-susnāna—an especially purifying ceremonial bath—is emphasized.