Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

यः प्रयाग इह स्नातो नमस्यति महेश्वरम् । समभ्यर्च्य विधानेन महासंभारविस्तरैः

Transliteration

yaḥ prayāga iha snāto namasyati maheśvaram | samabhyarcya vidhānena mahāsaṃbhāravistaraiḥ

Translation

مَن اغتسل في براياگا ثم أتى إلى هنا فانحنى لماهيشفارا، وعبده على وفق السنن المقرّرة، بقرابين وافرة ولوازم كثيرة—

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रयागे: in Prayāga
• प्रयागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (‘here’)

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having bathed/bathed’

• नमस्यति: bows to
• नमस्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस्/नम (धातु: नम्)
• Form: लट्-लकार, वर्तमानकाल; परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः

• समभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped properly
• समभ्यर्च्य: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+अभि+अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having duly worshipped’

• विधानेन: by the prescribed method
• विधानेन: Karana (Means/manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; ‘according to rule/by procedure’

• महासंभारविस्तरैः: with extensive great offerings/materials
• महासंभारविस्तरैः: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-संभार-विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः (महान् संभारविस्तरः) कर्मधारय-तत्पुरुष-समुच्चय; साधन/सहकारि-अर्थे

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga (snāna) + Maheśvara in Kāśī (darśana/arcana)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim bathes at Prayāga’s confluence, then is shown arriving in Kāśī to bow and worship Maheśvara with abundant offerings laid out—flowers, lamps, incense, fruits, and vessels.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Śiva (Maheśvara)
• Snāna (ritual bath)
• Pūjā (worship)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is completed through disciplined practice: purification by bathing, reverence by bowing, and devotion through proper worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga (for sacred bathing) and the Maheśvara shrine in Kāśī (for worship).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe at Prayāga, then bow to Maheśvara here and worship according to vidhāna with ample offerings.