Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

चकार भस्मना स्नानमापादतलमस्तकम् । लिंगस्य दक्षिणेभागे कृतमाध्याह्निकक्रियः

Transliteration

cakāra bhasmanā snānamāpādatalamastakam | liṃgasya dakṣiṇebhāge kṛtamādhyāhnikakriyaḥ

Translation

اس نے بھسم سے پاؤں کے تلووں سے لے کر سر تک اشنان کیا۔ اور لِنگ کے جنوبی جانب بیٹھ کر اس نے دوپہر کی نِتیہ کریائیں پوری کیں۔

Word by Word

• चकार: did; performed
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भस्मना: with ash
• भस्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आ: up to
• आ: Sambandha (Preverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग; मर्यादा/व्याप्त्यर्थक (up to)

• पादतलमस्तकम्: from the soles of the feet to the head
• पादतलमस्तकम्: Kriya-vishesana (Extent/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पाद-तल + मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (from sole-of-foot to head)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• दक्षिणेभागे: in the southern part
• दक्षिणेभागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (दक्षिणः भागः)

• कृतमाध्याह्निकक्रियः: one who had performed the midday rite
• कृतमाध्याह्निकक्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + माध्याह्निक-क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (कृता माध्याह्निकी क्रिया येन सः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapardīśa-liṅga (contextual)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhayoni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After river bathing, Vālmīki applies sacred ash over the entire body from feet to head, then stands/sits to the south of a Śiva-liṅga completing midday rites; lamps, bilva leaves, and a quiet shrine atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga (Śiva-symbol)
• Bhasma (sacred ash)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva worship integrates inner purity with outer discipline—bhasma and prescribed rites express surrender to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse situates the act at a liṅga within the Kāśī sacred domain; no distinct tīrtha name is given in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhasma-snana (smearing/bathing with sacred ash) and mādhyāhnika-kriyā (midday ritual duties) performed in proximity to the liṅga.