Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35
Devanagari script
न शरीर मल त्यागान्नरो भवति निर्मलः । मानसे तु मले त्यक्ते भवत्यंतः सुनिर्मलः
Transliteration
na śarīra mala tyāgānnaro bhavati nirmalaḥ | mānase tu male tyakte bhavatyaṃtaḥ sunirmalaḥ
Translation
人并非仅除去身垢便得清净；唯有舍离心垢，方能内里极其清净。
Word by Word
nanot
na:
Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)
śarīra-mala-tyāgātfrom (mere) giving up bodily impurity
śarīra-mala-tyāgāt:
Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootśarīra (प्रातिपदिक) + mala (प्रातिपदिक) + tyāga (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शरीरस्य मलस्य त्यागः)
naraḥa man
naraḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootnara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन
bhavatibecomes
bhavati:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootbhū (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
nirmalaḥpure
nirmalaḥ:
Karta-pradhana (Subject complement/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootnirmala (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नरस्य)
mānasein the mental (realm)
mānase:
Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootmānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मले)
tubut
tu:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)
malewhen the impurity (is)
male:
Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootmala (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
tyaktehaving been abandoned
tyakte:
Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
TypeVerb
Roottyaj (धातु) → tyakta (कृदन्त)
Formक्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)
bhavatibecomes
bhavati:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootbhū (धातु)
Formलट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
antaḥwithin, inwardly
antaḥ:
Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootantaḥ (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय; अव्ययीभावार्थे (adverb: inwardly/within)
sunirmalaḥvery pure
sunirmalaḥ:
Karta-pradhana (Subject complement/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsu (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + nirmala (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नरस्य); उपसर्ग/उपपद ‘सु’ = अतिशयार्थ
Speaker
Skanda
Tirtha Mahatmya
Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Gaṅgā-tīrtha as setting)
Type: kshetra
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A pilgrim at the Gaṅgā-ghāṭa washes the body, while a luminous inner lotus (heart-mind) is cleansed by a flame of discernment; Kāśī’s skyline with temples in the background.
Characters & Entities
K
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)FAQs
Physical cleanliness is secondary; real purity is inner—freedom from mental defilements.
In the Kāśī setting, the message is that Kāśī’s sanctity bears fruit through inner cleansing, not hygiene alone.
Prioritize mental śauca—remove inner ‘mala’ through ethical living, restraint, and right understanding.