Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

पानस्याप्यत्र का वार्ता जलस्पर्शोपि दुर्लभः । इति प्रेतोक्तमाकर्ण्य स भृशं प्रीतिमानभूत्

Transliteration

pānasyāpyatra kā vārtā jalasparśopi durlabhaḥ | iti pretoktamākarṇya sa bhṛśaṃ prītimānabhūt

Translation

“ที่นี่จะหวังได้อย่างไรแม้เพียงการดื่ม? แม้การสัมผัสน้ำก็หาได้ยากยิ่ง” ครั้นได้ยินถ้อยคำของเปรต เขาก็ยินดีเป็นอย่างยิ่ง

Word by Word

• पानस्य: of drinking
• पानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), emphatic/concessive

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• का: what?
• का: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• वार्ता: talk/mention
• वार्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• जलस्पर्शः: touch of water
• जलस्पर्शः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जलस्य स्पर्शः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), emphatic

• दुर्लभः: rare/difficult to obtain
• दुर्लभः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying जलस्पर्शः)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• प्रेतोक्तम्: what was said by the preta (ghost)
• प्रेतोक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त, √वच्/वद्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रेतस्य उक्तम्)

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + √कर्ण्/√श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having heard’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भृशम्: greatly
• भृशम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• प्रीतिमान्: joyful/pleased
• प्रीतिमान्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक) + मतुप् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; मतुपन्त-विशेषण

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (within Skanda’s narration); reported speech by the Preta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (typical Purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A parched, anguished preta speaks of the impossibility of even touching water; an ascetic listens, his face softening into purposeful joy at having found a means to uplift.

Characters & Entities

• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Acknowledging one’s limitation and speaking truthfully before a dharmic guide becomes a turning point toward receiving help.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative continues at/around Vimalodaka Saras in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references drinking and water-contact as preliminaries; the practical remedy is introduced in the next verse.