Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

वासांसि क्षालयेदग्निश्चंद्रश्छत्रधरः स्वयम् । सूर्यः प्रकाशयेन्नित्यं क्रीडावाप्यंबुजानि च

Transliteration

vāsāṃsi kṣālayedagniścaṃdraśchatradharaḥ svayam | sūryaḥ prakāśayennityaṃ krīḍāvāpyaṃbujāni ca

Translation

火神阿耆尼洗涤衣裳；月神亲自执持华盖；太阳恒常照耀那满布莲华的游乐池沼。

Word by Word

• वासांसि: garments
• वासांसि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• क्षालयेत्: should wash
• क्षालयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अग्निः: Agni (fire)
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• चन्द्रः: the Moon
• चन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• छत्रधरः: umbrella-bearer
• छत्रधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); उपपद-तत्पुरुष (छत्रं धरति इति)

• स्वयम्: personally
• स्वयम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निजवाचक-अव्यय (reflexive/emphatic indeclinable)

• सूर्यः: the Sun
• सूर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रकाशयेत्: should illuminate
• प्रकाशयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रकाशय् (धातु, णिजन्त/causative of काश्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• क्रीडा-वापि-अम्बुजानि: lotuses in the play-pond
• क्रीडा-वापि-अम्बुजानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रीडा (प्रातिपदिक) + वापी (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुष (क्रीडायाः वाप्यां अम्बुजानि)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous sacred garden and temple precinct: Agni personified cleansing cloths, the Moon as a regal attendant holding a white parasol over the Lord, and the Sun casting golden light over lotus-filled pleasure ponds (kṛīḍā-vāpī).

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Candra
• Sūrya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holiness reorders the cosmos into service—purification, protection, and illumination become offerings to the divine presence in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated as the city where cosmic forces themselves act as attendants.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the imagery parallels ritual supports—clean garments, shade/royal honor, and continual illumination.