Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा विशालगंगायां विशालाक्षीं ततो व्रजेत् । सुस्नातो ललितातीर्थे ललितामर्चयेत्ततः

Transliteration

snātvā viśālagaṃgāyāṃ viśālākṣīṃ tato vrajet | susnāto lalitātīrthe lalitāmarcayettataḥ

Translation

بعد الاغتسال في فيشالا-غانغا، فليتوجّه إلى فيشالاكشي. ثم بعد أن يغتسل جيدًا في تيرثا لاليتا، فليعبد لاليتا.

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• विशालगंगायाम्: in the Viśālā-Gaṅgā
• विशालगंगायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाला-गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक; components: विशाला + गङ्गा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन; स्थानाधिकरण

• विशालाक्षीम्: Viśālākṣī (the goddess)
• विशालाक्षीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाल-अक्षी (प्रातिपदिक; components: विशाल + अक्षी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन; देवीनाम (one whose eyes are large)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रमवाचक (then)

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सुस्नातः: having bathed well
• सुस्नातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + सु (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्तरि-विशेषण (well-bathed)

• ललितातीर्थे: at Lalitā-tīrtha
• ललितातीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललिता-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; components: ललिता + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन; स्थानाधिकरण

• ललिताम्: Lalitā (goddess)
• ललिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रमवाचक (then)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśālā-Gaṅgā; Lalitā Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a broad Ganga ghat, pilgrims immerse at dawn; they ascend steps toward the Viśālākṣī shrine; later they reach Lalitā Tīrtha, bathe, and offer lamps and flowers to Lalitā’s icon.

Characters & Entities

• Viśālā-Gaṅgā
• Viśālākṣī
• Lalitā Tīrtha
• Lalitā
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Devi is approached through tīrtha-snāna and darśana—purity of body supports steadiness of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśālā-Gaṅgā bathing spot, Viśālākṣī shrine, and Lalitā Tīrtha with the goddess Lalitā in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe at Viśālā-Gaṅgā and Lalitā Tīrtha, then visit/worship Viśālākṣī and Lalitā respectively.