Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

अच्छोदे सरसि स्नातुं स गतो बालकैः सह । जलक्रीडनसंसक्तं शिशुमारो हरच्च तम्

Transliteration

acchode sarasi snātuṃ sa gato bālakaiḥ saha | jalakrīḍanasaṃsaktaṃ śiśumāro haracca tam

Translation

他与众童子同往阿阇陀（Acchoda）湖沐浴。正沉迷于水中嬉戏时，一只名为śiśumāra的水中兽（似鳄之类）攫住他，将他拖走。

Word by Word

• अच्छोदे: in/at Acchoda (lake/place-name)
• अच्छोदे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्छोद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक-विशेष्य (locative of place)

• सरसि: in the lake
• सरसि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• स्नातुम्: to bathe
• स्नातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (infinitive), प्रयोजनार्थ (purpose)

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

• गतः: went/has gone
• गतः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (active sense)

• बालकैः: with boys
• बालकैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; सहार्थे (instrumental of accompaniment)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-उपसर्गसदृश (particle meaning 'with')

• जलक्रीडनसंसक्तम्: attached/engrossed in water-play
• जलक्रीडनसंसक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रीडन (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + संसक्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'tam'); समासः: जलक्रीडने संसक्तम् (locative-tatpurusha sense)

• शिशुमारः: a dolphin/crocodile-like aquatic creature (śiśumāra)
• शिशुमारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• हरत्: seizing/carrying off
• हरत्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (concomitant action)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Acchoda-saras

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bright lake with boys splashing; at the edge, a sudden dark, crocodile-like śiśumāra rises, gripping a boy and pulling him into deeper water; ripples and panic contrast with the serene tīrtha setting.

Characters & Entities

• Acchoda lake
• Śiśumāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in sacred settings, the Purāṇas remind that embodied life is vulnerable—prompting vigilance and deeper reliance on dharma and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Acchoda Saras (a named lake in the narrative), presented as part of the sacred-water setting within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) is mentioned as the occasion, though no specific rule is stated.