Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

स्वःसिंधुः सर्वतः पुण्या ब्रह्महत्यापहारिणी । काश्यां विशेषतो विष्णो यत्र चोत्तरवाहिनी

Transliteration

svaḥsiṃdhuḥ sarvataḥ puṇyā brahmahatyāpahāriṇī | kāśyāṃ viśeṣato viṣṇo yatra cottaravāhinī

Translation

Der himmlische Strom, die Gaṅgā, ist überall heilig und nimmt selbst die Sünde der Brahmanentötung hinweg; doch in Kāśī, o Viṣṇu, ist sie in besonderer Weise so—dort, wo sie als Uttaravāhinī nach Norden fließt.

Word by Word

• स्वःसिन्धुः: the heavenly river
• स्वःसिन्धुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वः-सिन्धु (प्रातिपदिक; स्वः + सिन्धु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• सर्वतः: from all sides/entirely
• सर्वतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पुण्या: holy
• पुण्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Feminine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• ब्रह्महत्यापहारिणी: remover of brahmin-slaying sin
• ब्रह्महत्यापहारिणी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या-अपहारिणी (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्महत्या + अपहारिणी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Feminine, Nominative singular; adjective)

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

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• विष्णो: O Viṣṇu
• विष्णो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative singular)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-स्थानवाचक (relative locative adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• उत्तरवाहिनी: the north-flowing (river)
• उत्तरवाहिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर-वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक; उत्तर + वाहिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Uttaravāhinī Gaṅgā (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Hari/Viṣṇu (vocative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā as Svarga-sindhu descending with luminous waters; a penitent pilgrim at Kāśī’s ghats; the river’s northward curve highlighted; subtle iconography of sin being washed away (darkness dissolving into light).

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Kāśī
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography intensifies grace: Gaṅgā is purifying everywhere, yet Kāśī’s Uttaravāhinī is proclaimed exceptionally powerful, even against the gravest sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Uttaravāhinī Gaṅgā in Kāśī (Varanasi).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is specified; the verse emphasizes sin-removal through the sanctity of the place (tirtha-prabhāva).