Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

आकर्ण्य विमलश्चेत्थमालापं रश्मिमालिनः । प्रणतो दंडवद्भूमौ संप्रहष्टतनूरुहः

Transliteration

ākarṇya vimalaścetthamālāpaṃ raśmimālinaḥ | praṇato daṃḍavadbhūmau saṃprahaṣṭatanūruhaḥ

Translation

毗摩罗听闻那位“光线为鬘者”的言语，便如杖般五体投地而礼，周身因欢喜而战栗起粟。

Word by Word

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-कर्त्/कर्ण् (धातु) → आकर्ण्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभावार्थक कृदन्त (gerund): 'having heard'

• विमलः: Vimala
• विमलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• इत्थम्: thus/in this manner
• इत्थम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• आलापम्: speech/utterance
• आलापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• रश्मिमालिनः: of the garlanded-with-rays one (the Sun)
• रश्मिमालिनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रश्मिमालिन् (प्रातिपदिक; रश्मि + मालिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• प्रणतः: bowed down
• प्रणतः: Karta (Subject-state/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु) → प्रणत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Past participle used adjectivally

• दण्डवत्: like a staff (prostrate)
• दण्डवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): दण्ड इव (like a staff)

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• संप्रहष्टतनूरुहः: with body-hairs thrilled from joy
• संप्रहष्टतनूरुहः: Karta-pradhana (Subject-qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संप्रहष्टतनूरुह (प्रातिपदिक; संप्रहष्ट + तनूरुह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (qualifying विमलः)

Speaker

Skanda (narration to Agastya, per Kāśīkhaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vimala falls full-length on the ground in daṇḍavat before the blazing Sun, his skin glowing with relief and his body showing goosebumps of ecstatic devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (Raśmimālin)
• Vimala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion shows itself in humility and surrender—gratitude expressed through full prostration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, where the devotee’s reverence and the deity’s response are portrayed as especially immediate.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daṇḍavat praṇāma (full prostration) as an act of reverence following divine instruction or blessing.