Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

स्नात्वांबुदैवतैर्मंत्रैः प्राणानायम्य यत्नतः । उपस्थानं रवेः कृत्वा संध्ययोरुभयोरपि

Transliteration

snātvāṃbudaivatairmaṃtraiḥ prāṇānāyamya yatnataḥ | upasthānaṃ raveḥ kṛtvā saṃdhyayorubhayorapi

Translation

Pagkaligo na may mga mantra para sa mga diyos ng tubig, at maingat na pagsasaayos ng hininga (prāṇāyāma), gawin ang mapitagang pagharap at pagsamba sa Araw sa dalawang sandhyā—umaga at gabi.

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभावः; ‘having bathed’

• अम्बु-दैवतैः: with (invocations to) the water-deities
• अम्बु-दैवतैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक) + दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (अम्बु-दैवत = water-deities); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• प्राणान्: breaths / vital airs
• प्राणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• आयम्य: having controlled
• आयम्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + यम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभावः; ‘having restrained/regulated’

• यत्नतः: carefully
• यत्नतः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb); ‘with effort/carefully’

• उपस्थानम्: attendance / worship (standing near)
• उपस्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपस्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• रवेः: of the Sun
• रवेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभावः

• संध्ययोः: at the two twilights
• संध्ययोः: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th) (द्विवचनरूपम्: संध्ययोः = locative dual); अधिकरणे

• उभयोः: of both
• उभयोः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th) / सप्तमी (7th) द्विवचन; अत्र संध्ययोः इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (genitive/locative dual agreeing by sense)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक (also/even)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī-ghāṭa snāna)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a Kāśī ghāṭa at sunrise and again at sunset, a devotee emerges from the river, performs prāṇāyāma, then offers arghya to the Sun; water-deities are suggested as translucent forms within the river; lamps and boats frame the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Snāna
• Jala-devatā (water deities)
• Prāṇāyāma
• Ravi (Sun)
• Sandhyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dharmic day is anchored by purification, breath-discipline, and Sandhyā—aligning the self with cosmic order through Sūrya worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a general prescription within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa; the implied sacred setting is Kāśī, where daily rites are especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing with water-mantras, prāṇāyāma, and performing Sūrya-upasthāna at morning and evening Sandhyā.