Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

शंखमाधवतीर्थं च तद्याम्यां दिशि चोत्तमम् । तत्तीर्थसेवनान्नृणां कुतः पापभयं महत्

Transliteration

śaṃkhamādhavatīrthaṃ ca tadyāmyāṃ diśi cottamam | tattīrthasevanānnṛṇāṃ kutaḥ pāpabhayaṃ mahat

Translation

আর দক্ষিণ দিকে উৎকৃষ্ট শঙ্খ-মাধব তীর্থ আছে। সেই তীর্থের সেবা-আশ্রয় গ্রহণকারী মানুষের মহাপাপের ভয়ই বা কোথায়?

Word by Word

• शङ्खमाधवतीर्थम्: the Śaṅkha-Mādhava tīrtha
• शङ्खमाधवतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्खमाधव (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शङ्खमाधवस्य तीर्थम्)

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Deictic)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘याम्यायाम्’ इत्यस्य निर्देशक

• याम्यायाम्: in the southern (Yama’s) direction
• याम्यायाम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘यमस्य दिशा’ = दक्षिणदिशा

• दिशि: in the direction
• दिशि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (genitive sense), एकवचन; ‘तत्तीर्थ’ इत्यत्र पूर्वपदम्

• तीर्थसेवनात्: from serving/visiting the tīrtha
• तीर्थसेवनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (हेतु/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य सेवनम्)

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कुतः: how could there be?
• कुतः: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (whence/how)

• पापभयम्: fear of sin
• पापभयम्: Karma/Pratipadyam (Object/Predicate-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पापात् भयम् / पापस्य भयम्)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पापभयम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkha-Mādhava-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A southern Kāśī ghāṭa with a Śaṅkha-Mādhava shrine; priests blow a conch; devotees sweep steps and offer lamps; the atmosphere is bright and confident, as if sin-fear is dispelled by communal devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkha-Mādhava-tīrtha
• Mādhava
• Śaṅkha
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular tīrtha-sevā (reverent visitation and practice) builds moral fearlessness by cleansing sin and strengthening devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkha-Mādhava-tīrtha, described as being in the southern direction within Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-sevā—reverent resorting to/serving the tīrtha (which may include bathing, worship, and disciplined conduct).