Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

यदुक्तं भवता स्कंद मायाद्विजवपुर्हरिः । काश्यां पंचनदं तीर्थमध्यासातीव पावनम्

Transliteration

yaduktaṃ bhavatā skaṃda māyādvijavapurhariḥ | kāśyāṃ paṃcanadaṃ tīrthamadhyāsātīva pāvanam

Translation

يا سكَندا، كما قلتَ: إنَّ هَري، بقوة المايا متخذاً هيئةَ براهمن، أقام في تيرثا «بانتشَنادا» بكاشي، وهو موضعٌ بالغُ التطهير.

Word by Word

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object of uktaṃ; content/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• उक्तम्: said
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (said/spoken)

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्कन्द: O Skanda
• स्कन्द: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: skanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मायाद्विजवपुः: (one) having an illusory brāhmaṇa-form
• मायाद्विजवपुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā-dvija-vapus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मायया द्विजवपुः—'with an illusory brāhmaṇa-form'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पञ्चनदम्: Pañcanada (the ‘five-river’ place)
• पञ्चनदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca-nada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (पञ्च नदाः यस्मिन्/यस्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage place, sacred ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अध्यासात्: dwelt (there)
• अध्यासात्: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ās (आस्) उपसर्ग adhi-
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; धातु: अधि+आस् = to dwell/sit upon

• इव: as if, indeed
• इव: Upamana-marker (Comparator/उपमा-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• पावनम्: purifying, holy
• पावनम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying tīrtham)

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcanada Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hari in the guise of a serene brāhmaṇa ascetic sits near a confluence-like sacred water spot labeled Pañcanada; pilgrims approach with offerings; subtle Viṣṇu aura (śaṅkha-cakra motifs) appears behind the brāhmaṇa form.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Skanda
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Pañcanada Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s tīrthas are so sanctifying that even Hari is portrayed as residing there, underscoring their supreme purifying power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pañcanada Tīrtha in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the verse identifies and praises the tīrtha’s purifying nature, implying pilgrimage and reverential visitation.