Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

प्रस्वेद लालाद्याक्लिन्नो निद्राधीनो यतो नरः । प्रातःस्नानात्ततोर्हः स्यान्मंत्रस्तोत्रजपादिषु

Transliteration

prasveda lālādyāklinno nidrādhīno yato naraḥ | prātaḥsnānāttatorhaḥ syānmaṃtrastotrajapādiṣu

Translation

เพราะมนุษย์ชุ่มด้วยเหงื่อและน้ำลายเป็นต้น และยังอยู่ใต้อำนาจแห่งนิทรา; ฉะนั้นเมื่ออาบน้ำยามเช้าแล้ว จึงควรแก่การสวดมนต์ บทสรรเสริญ และการภาวนาจปะ เป็นต้น

Word by Word

• प्रस्वेद: sweat
• प्रस्वेद: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रस्वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र समासपूर्वपद-समुच्चयार्थे

• लाला: saliva
• लाला: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र समुच्चयार्थे

• आदि: and so on
• आदि: Nipata (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘etc.’ (समाहारसूचक)

• आक्लिन्नः: soaked/wet
• आक्लिन्नः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + क्लिद् (धातु) → आक्लिन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नरः)

• निद्राधीनः: under the sway of sleep
• निद्राधीनः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निद्रा + अधीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नरः); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (निद्रा + अधीन)

• यतः: since/because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (causal) ‘since/because’

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• प्रातःस्नानात्: from/through morning bath
• प्रातःस्नानात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रातःस्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रातः + स्नान)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण ‘then/thereafter’

• अर्हः: fit/eligible
• अर्हः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषणम् (नरः)

• स्यात्: would be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मन्त्रस्तोत्रजपादिषु: in mantra-recitation, hymn, japa, etc.
• मन्त्रस्तोत्रजपादिषु: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र + स्तोत्र + जप + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (मन्त्र-स्तोत्र-जप) + ‘आदि’; ‘in (acts) like mantra, hymn, japa, etc.’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-Gaṅgā prātaḥ-snānā (as preparation for japa)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A just-awakened pilgrim, then after bathing sits on a ghāṭ step with a mālā, reciting softly; contrast between drowsy pre-bath and alert post-bath posture.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred speech and worship require readiness; bathing restores cleanliness and wakeful clarity for spiritual practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a general rule within Kāśīkhaṇḍa; it does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform prātaḥ-snānā before mantra, stotra, and japa to become ritually fit (arha).