Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

अग्निष्टोमादिभिर्यज्ञैरिष्ट्वा विपुलदक्षिणैः । न तत्फलमवाप्नोति तीर्थभिगमनेन यत्

Transliteration

agniṣṭomādibhiryajñairiṣṭvā vipuladakṣiṇaiḥ | na tatphalamavāpnoti tīrthabhigamanena yat

Translation

Selbst wenn man Opfer wie das Agniṣṭoma vollzieht und reichlich Dakṣiṇā darbringt, erlangt man nicht jene Frucht, die durch den Besuch der Tīrthas gewonnen wird.

Word by Word

• अग्निष्टोमादिभिः: by Agniṣṭoma and other (rites)
• अग्निष्टोमादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निष्टोम + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘अग्निष्टोम-आदि’ = agniṣṭoma etc. (ādi-तत्पुरुष)

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• इष्ट्वा: having performed (sacrifice)
• इष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘having sacrificed/performed worship’

• विपुलदक्षिणैः: with abundant fees (dakṣiṇās)
• विपुलदक्षिणैः: Karana (Accompaniment/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल + दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक ‘दक्षिणा’ (fee), तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘विपुला दक्षिणा’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (correlative ‘that’)

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• अवाप्नोति: obtains
• अवाप्नोति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• तीर्थभिगमनेन: by visiting a tīrtha
• तीर्थभिगमनेन: Karana (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + अभिगमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘तीर्थस्य अभिगमनम्’

• यत्: which (fruit)
• यत्: Karma (Object in relative clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun) ‘which/that which’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī and tīrthas generally (tīrtha-abhigamana)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split scene: on one side a grand Agniṣṭoma with fire altars and priests; on the other a humble pilgrim arriving at a tīrtha—yet the tīrtha side radiates greater divine light.

Characters & Entities

• Agniṣṭoma
• Yajña
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage carries a unique sanctifying power that can surpass even great Vedic sacrifices in spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrthas generally; the act of tīrtha-abhigamana is exalted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Visiting tīrthas is recommended as a potent religious act, contrasted with yajñas like Agniṣṭoma.