Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

आद्यं भगवतः स्थानं तत्पुण्यं हरिमेधसः । पापोपि जंतुस्तत्प्राप्य निष्पापो जायते ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

ādyaṃ bhagavataḥ sthānaṃ tatpuṇyaṃ harimedhasaḥ | pāpopi jaṃtustatprāpya niṣpāpo jāyate dhruvam

Translation

Das ist die uranfängliche Wohnstatt des Herrn, heilig und reinigend, des Weisen Harimedhas; selbst ein sündiges Wesen wird, wenn es dorthin gelangt, gewiss von Sünde frei.

Word by Word

• आद्यम्: first/primeval
• आद्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भगवतः: of the Lord
• भगवतः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थानम्: abode/place
• स्थानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुण्यम्: holy/meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• हरिमेधसः: of Harimedhas (a sage/person)
• हरिमेधसः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि + मेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• पापः: sinful
• पापः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अव्यय-प्रकारः: निपात (particle)

• जन्तुः: a creature/person
• जन्तुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that (place)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-प्राय (absolutive/gerundial), ‘having reached/obtaining’

• निष्पापः: sinless
• निष्पापः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निस् + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• जायते: is born/becomes
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (adverbial accusative), निश्चयार्थे

Speaker

Gaṇas (attendants) (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Harimedhas-kṣetra / Bhagavataḥ ādya-sthāna (contextually Madhuvana)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A brāhmaṇa (dvija)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sanctified grove by Yamunā radiates an unseen aura; Dhruva stands at the threshold while the landscape is subtly depicted as ‘primordial abode’—light suffusing trees and river, suggesting pāpa-kṣaya.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavān (Hari)
• Harimedhas
• Madhuvana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with a sanctified divine place (sthāna) is said to purify even grave sin through its inherent puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Lord’s primordial sacred place associated with Harimedhas—contextually Madhuvana on the Yamunā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act implied is tīrtha-yātrā (visiting/reaching the sacred place) as a purifier.