Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 127

Devanagari script

पठित्वा पाठयित्वा वा श्रुत्वा वा श्रद्धयान्वितः । ज्ञानवाप्याः शुभाख्यानं शिवलोके महीयते

Transliteration

paṭhitvā pāṭhayitvā vā śrutvā vā śraddhayānvitaḥ | jñānavāpyāḥ śubhākhyānaṃ śivaloke mahīyate

Translation

Wer, von Glauben erfüllt, dieses heilsame Bericht von Jñānavāpī liest, andere lesen lässt oder auch nur hört, wird in Śivas Welt geehrt.

Word by Word

• पठित्वा: having recited
• पठित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having read/recited’

• पाठयित्वा: having made (others) recite
• पाठयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु) [णिच्]
• Form: णिच्-प्रेरण (causative) धातु ‘पाठय’ + क्त्वा; ‘having caused to recite/taught’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; ‘having heard’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘with faith’

• अन्वितः: endowed (with)
• अन्वितः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वि+इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘endowed/possessed’—कर्ता (implicit devotee) का विशेषण

• ज्ञानवाप्याः: of Jñānavāpī
• ज्ञानवाप्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान + वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘of Jñānavāpī’

• शुभाख्यानम्: the auspicious account
• शुभाख्यानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ + आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (subject) ‘auspicious narration’

• शिवलोके: in Śiva’s realm
• शिवलोके: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in Śiva’s world’

• महीयते: is glorified
• महीयते: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग: ‘is glorified/is honored’

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda to Agastya, contextually)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñānavāpī

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small assembly listens as a reciter reads the auspicious Jñānavāpī account; listeners sit with folded hands; a subtle vision of Śiva-loka (radiant Kailāsa-like realm) is suggested above.

Characters & Entities

• Jñānavāpī
• Śivaloka
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa and pāṭha of tīrtha-māhātmya, done with faith, are themselves potent spiritual practices leading toward Śiva’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñānavāpī in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Faithful reading, teaching/recitation, or hearing (pāṭha/pāṭhana/śravaṇa) of the Jñānavāpī māhātmya.