Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

सर्वेषां काशितीर्थानां लोलार्कः प्रथमं शिरः । ततोंऽगान्यन्यतीर्थानि तज्जलप्लावितानिहि

Transliteration

sarveṣāṃ kāśitīrthānāṃ lolārkaḥ prathamaṃ śiraḥ | tatoṃ'gānyanyatīrthāni tajjalaplāvitānihi

Translation

Unter allen Tīrthas von Kāśī ist Lolārka der Erste, das «Haupt»; die anderen Tīrthas sind gleichsam die Glieder, denn sie werden durch das Überfließen seiner Wasser geheiligt.

Word by Word

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• काशितीर्थानाम्: of the Kāśī sacred places
• काशितीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘tīrthas of Kāśī’

• लोलार्कः: Lolārka
• लोलार्कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोलार्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• प्रथमम्: first/foremost
• प्रथमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; here predicative with शिरः

• शिरः: head; chief
• शिरः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अपादानार्थ/क्रमार्थ ‘thereafter/from that’

• अङ्गानि: limbs/parts
• अङ्गानि: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अन्यतीर्थानि: other sacred places
• अन्यतीर्थानि: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः: ‘other tīrthas’

• तत्: its/that
• तत्: Sambandha (Demonstrative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (genitival sense) / or demonstrative in compound with जल

• जलप्लावितानि: flooded/washed by its water
• जलप्लावितानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्लावित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √प्लु/प्लावय्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle) ‘flooded’; तत्पुरुषः: ‘flooded by (its) water’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ ‘indeed/for’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lolārka

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages / ‘muni’ addressee within Kāśī discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic cosmic body-map of Kāśī: Lolārka as a radiant head, with streams flowing outward to smaller tīrthas depicted as limbs along the riverfront.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Lolārka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is envisioned as an integrated sacred body, with Lolārka as its crown—teaching reverence for the city’s tīrtha-network.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lolārka, declared the foremost among Kāśī’s tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is prescribed here; the verse establishes tīrtha-precedence and encourages prioritizing Lolārka in pilgrimage.