Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

पंचामृतानां स्नपनैः सुगंध स्नपनैरपि । देवार्थं मुखवासैश्च देवोद्यानैरनेकशः

Transliteration

paṃcāmṛtānāṃ snapanaiḥ sugaṃdha snapanairapi | devārthaṃ mukhavāsaiśca devodyānairanekaśaḥ

Translation

پنجامرت سے دیوتا کو اسنان کرانا، اور خوشبودار اسنان کی رسومات سے بھی؛ دیوتا کے لیے مُکھ واس (منہ کی خوشبو) کی نذر، اور دیو اُدیان (مقدس باغات) قائم کرنے سے—بار بار—کاشی کی پاک عبادت و سیوا ادا ہوتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• पञ्चामृतानाम्: of the five nectars (pañcāmṛta)
• पञ्चामृतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च-अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Plural); पञ्च अमृतानि इति द्विगु-समास

• स्नपनैः: by bathing/ablution (materials/acts)
• स्नपनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural)

• सुगन्ध: fragrant
• सुगन्ध: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुगन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masc/Neut, Nom/Acc, Singular); विशेषण—स्नपनैः इत्यस्य गुणवाचक (fragrant)

• स्नपनैः: by bathings/ablutions
• स्नपनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपि-कारार्थक (particle: also/even)

• देवार्थम्: for the deity’s sake / for worship
• देवार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); देवस्य अर्थः/हितम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of)

• मुखवासैः: by mouth-perfumes/fragrances (for offering)
• मुखवासैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख-वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural); मुखस्य वासः (fragrant mouth-perfume) इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक निपात (Conjunction)

• देवोद्यानैः: by divine gardens / temple-gardens
• देवोद्यानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-उद्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural); देवानाम् उद्यानानि इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• अनेकशः: in many ways / repeatedly
• अनेकशः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/प्रचुरतावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (Indeclinable adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Priests perform pañcāmṛta-abhiṣeka over a Śiva-liṅga; streams of milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugar-water flow into a silver yoni-base; attendants offer fragrant waters; devotees present mukhavāsa; outside, a lush temple garden blooms for daily flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• pañcāmṛta
• snāpana
• deva-udyāna (temple garden)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tender, beautifying worship—bathing, fragrance, and sustaining temple environs—expresses devotion and earns merit in a holy place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, through its temple worship practices and the cultivation of temple gardens.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāpana/abhiṣeka with pañcāmṛta and fragrant substances, offering mukhavāsa, and supporting devodyānas (temple gardens).