Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

कूपः कालोदको नाम जराव्याधिविघातकृत् । यदीय जलपानेन मातुःस्तन्यमपानवान्

Transliteration

kūpaḥ kālodako nāma jarāvyādhivighātakṛt | yadīya jalapānena mātuḥstanyamapānavān

Translation

یہاں ‘کالودک’ نام کا ایک کنواں ہے جو بڑھاپے اور بیماریوں کا ناس کرتا ہے۔ اس کا پانی پینے سے آدمی گویا پھر سے ماں کا دودھ پی لیتا ہے اور ابتدائی قوتِ حیات لوٹ آتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• कूपः: a well
• कूपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कालोदकः: (the well) named Kāl-odaka / ‘dark-time water’
• कालोदकः: Visheshya (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (kālasya udakam) / नामधेय-विशेष्य

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming/apposition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (indeclinable particle meaning ‘by name/namely’)

• जराव्याधिविघातकृत्: destroyer of old age and disease
• जराव्याधिविघातकृत्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जरा + व्याधि + विघात + कृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (jarā-vyādhi-vighātaṃ karoti iti)

• यदीय: whose
• यदीय: Visheshana (Qualifier of jalapānena)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यदीय (प्रातिपदिक; यद्-सम्बन्धी)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; ‘whose’ (relative possessive)

• जलपानेन: by drinking the water
• जलपानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलपान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (jalasya pānam)

• मातुः: of the mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• स्तन्यम्: breast-milk
• स्तन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• अपानवान्: obtained/drank (it)
• अपानवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपानवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गुणवाचक-विशेषण (possessed/obtained)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kālodaka-kūpa (also implied: Kālatamodaka)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śrotṛ-gaṇa (assembly of sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A shaded stone well within Kāśī; pilgrims draw dark, cool water in brass vessels; an aged devotee drinks and appears renewed, while a Śiva-liṅga shrine stands nearby with lamps and bilva leaves.

Characters & Entities

• Kālodaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred waters are portrayed as restorative and grace-filled, countering decay and affliction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kālodaka Well (Kālodaka-kūpa) associated with the Vṛddhakāleśvara area in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāna (drinking) of the Kālodaka water; its benefits are stated in terms of vitality and health.