Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

वाराणस्यां पांचनदे त्र्यहं स्नातास्तु कार्तिके । अमी ते शुद्धवपुषः पुण्यभाजोतिनिर्मलाः

Transliteration

vārāṇasyāṃ pāṃcanade tryahaṃ snātāstu kārtike | amī te śuddhavapuṣaḥ puṇyabhājotinirmalāḥ

Translation

ณพาราณสี ที่ปัญจนท ผู้ใดอาบน้ำศักดิ์สิทธิ์ติดต่อกันสามวันในเดือนการ์ติกะ ผู้นั้นย่อมมีกายบริสุทธิ์ เป็นผู้รับบุญใหญ่ และผ่องใสไร้มลทินยิ่งนัก

Word by Word

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• पाञ्चनदे: at Pañcanada (place of five rivers)
• पाञ्चनदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चनद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्च + नद)

• त्र्यहम्: for three days
• त्र्यहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्र्यह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रि + अहन्)

• स्नाताः: having bathed / bathed
• स्नाताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययः क्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• कार्तिके: in (the month of) Kārtika
• कार्तिके: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• अमी: these (those)
• अमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ते: your/of you
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शुद्धवपुषः: of pure bodies / pure-bodied
• शुद्धवपुषः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः

• पुण्यभाजः: partakers of merit
• पुण्यभाजः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भाज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुण्यस्य भाजः = sharers of merit)

• अति-निर्मलाः: exceedingly pure
• अति-निर्मलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय) + निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समासः

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcanada (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/ṛṣis within the narrative frame (Kāśī-māhātmya audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dawn on the Gaṅgā in Kāśī: pilgrims performing three-day Kārtika snāna at Pañcanada, with lamps, lotuses, and priests chanting; the city’s ghāṭs and temples glow in misty light.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Pañcanada
• Kārtika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kārtika observances in Kāśī, especially tīrtha-bathing, confer exceptional purity and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pañcanada tīrtha in Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) is praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe at Pañcanada in Kāśī for three days during the month of Kārtika.