Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

प्रयागस्नानपुण्येन यत्पुण्यं स्याच्छिवप्रदम् । काशीदर्शनमात्रेण तत्पुण्यं श्रद्धयास्त्विह

Transliteration

prayāgasnānapuṇyena yatpuṇyaṃ syācchivapradam | kāśīdarśanamātreṇa tatpuṇyaṃ śraddhayāstviha

Translation

Das Verdienst, das aus dem Bad in Prayāga erwächst und Śivas Gnade verleiht—eben dieses Verdienst wird hier, im Glauben, schon durch den bloßen Anblick von Kāśī erlangt.

Word by Word

• प्रयागस्नानपुण्येन: by the merit of bathing at Prayāga
• प्रयागस्नानपुण्येन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग + स्नान + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (प्रयागे स्नानस्य पुण्येन) — “by the merit of bathing at Prayāga”

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (relative)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karya/Phala (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; “would be”

• शिवप्रदम्: bestowing Śiva (auspiciousness/liberation)
• शिवप्रदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शिवं प्रददाति इति) — “bestowing Śiva (auspiciousness/liberation)”

• काशीदर्शनमात्रेण: by merely seeing Kāśī
• काशीदर्शनमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी + दर्शन + मात्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (काश्याः दर्शनस्य मात्रेण) — “by mere sight of Kāśī”

• तत्: that (merit)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (correlative)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karya/Phala (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन; साधन/भाव

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; “let it be”

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक — “here (in this place)”

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (darśana-māhātmya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim arrives at Kāśī and beholds the city from a ghat—hands folded, eyes moist with devotion; the Gaṅgā glows, temple spires rise, and an inner vision of Śiva’s blessing is suggested as a radiant presence above.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Snāna
• Śiva
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is so sanctifying that even a faithful glimpse is equated with major tīrtha rites elsewhere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is praised, in comparison to Prayāga’s celebrated bathing merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kāśī-darśana (pilgrimage sight/visit) performed with śraddhā; Prayāga-snāna is referenced as the comparator.