Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

पंचामृतानां स्नपनैः सुगंध स्नपनैरपि । देवार्थं मुखवासैश्च देवोद्यानैरनेकशः

Transliteration

paṃcāmṛtānāṃ snapanaiḥ sugaṃdha snapanairapi | devārthaṃ mukhavāsaiśca devodyānairanekaśaḥ

Translation

பஞ்சாமிருதத்தால் தேவஸ்நானம் செய்து, நறுமண ஸ்நபன முறைகளாலும், தேவனுக்கான முகவாசம் (வாய் நறுமணம்) அர்ப்பணித்து, தேவோத்யானங்களை அமைத்து—மீண்டும் மீண்டும்—(காசியில் தேவசேவை நிறைவேறும்)।

Word by Word

• पञ्चामृतानाम्: of the five nectars (pañcāmṛta)
• पञ्चामृतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च-अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Plural); पञ्च अमृतानि इति द्विगु-समास

• स्नपनैः: by bathing/ablution (materials/acts)
• स्नपनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural)

• सुगन्ध: fragrant
• सुगन्ध: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुगन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masc/Neut, Nom/Acc, Singular); विशेषण—स्नपनैः इत्यस्य गुणवाचक (fragrant)

• स्नपनैः: by bathings/ablutions
• स्नपनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपि-कारार्थक (particle: also/even)

• देवार्थम्: for the deity’s sake / for worship
• देवार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); देवस्य अर्थः/हितम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of)

• मुखवासैः: by mouth-perfumes/fragrances (for offering)
• मुखवासैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख-वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural); मुखस्य वासः (fragrant mouth-perfume) इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक निपात (Conjunction)

• देवोद्यानैः: by divine gardens / temple-gardens
• देवोद्यानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-उद्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural); देवानाम् उद्यानानि इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• अनेकशः: in many ways / repeatedly
• अनेकशः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/प्रचुरतावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (Indeclinable adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Priests perform pañcāmṛta-abhiṣeka over a Śiva-liṅga; streams of milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugar-water flow into a silver yoni-base; attendants offer fragrant waters; devotees present mukhavāsa; outside, a lush temple garden blooms for daily flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• pañcāmṛta
• snāpana
• deva-udyāna (temple garden)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tender, beautifying worship—bathing, fragrance, and sustaining temple environs—expresses devotion and earns merit in a holy place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, through its temple worship practices and the cultivation of temple gardens.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāpana/abhiṣeka with pañcāmṛta and fragrant substances, offering mukhavāsa, and supporting devodyānas (temple gardens).