Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

लोलार्कसंगमे स्नात्वा दानं होमं सुरार्चनम् । यत्किंचित्क्रियते कर्म तदानंत्याय कल्पते

Transliteration

lolārkasaṃgame snātvā dānaṃ homaṃ surārcanam | yatkiṃcitkriyate karma tadānaṃtyāya kalpate

Translation

Wer am heiligen Zusammenfluss von Lolārka badet, für den wird jede Handlung—Gabe, Feueropfer oder Verehrung der Götter—zur Ursache unerschöpflichen geistlichen Verdienstes.

Word by Word

• लोलार्कसंगमे: at the confluence called Lolārka
• लोलार्कसंगमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोलार्क (प्रातिपदिक) + संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; लोलार्कस्य संगमः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; Locative of place

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having done earlier)

• दानम्: gift, charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; object of implied ‘to do/perform’

• होमम्: fire-offering, oblation
• होमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• सुरार्चनम्: worship of the gods
• सुरार्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सुराणाम् अर्चनम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• यत्: whatever (that which)
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• किंचित्: anything, some (even a little)
• किंचित्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किंचित् (सर्वनाम/अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चितपरिमाणवाचक (indefinite quantifier)

• क्रियते: is done, is performed
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• कर्म: act, rite, deed
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; apposition to यत्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; correlative pronoun

• आनन्त्याय: for endlessness, for infinite merit
• आनन्त्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदानार्थ (for the sake of)

• कल्पते: becomes, is deemed (to be)
• कल्पते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘becomes/amounts to’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lolārka-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (standard Purāṇic audience frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at dawn at a river confluence; a small shrine/kuṇḍa of Sūrya (Lolārka) nearby; devotees offering arghya to the rising sun, giving dāna, and a small homa fire with priests chanting.

Characters & Entities

• Lolārka
• Gaṅgā
• Asi
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Acts done after bathing at Lolārka-saṅgama become inexhaustible in merit, emphasizing Kāśī’s unique power to magnify dharmic deeds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lolārka-saṅgama—associated with Lolārka and located at/near the Gaṅgā–Asi confluence in Vārāṇasī (Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at the site, followed by dāna (charity), homa (fire-offering), and deva-pūjā (worship of the gods).