Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

इत्थं पंचनदे तीर्थे क्षीरनीरधिजाधवः । संप्रेष्य तार्क्ष्यं त्र्यक्षाग्रे वृत्तांतविनिवेदितुम्

Transliteration

itthaṃ paṃcanade tīrthe kṣīranīradhijādhavaḥ | saṃpreṣya tārkṣyaṃ tryakṣāgre vṛttāṃtaviniveditum

Translation

So sandte an der heiligen Furt von Pañcanada jener Herr Mādhava—aus dem Milchozean hervorgegangen—Tārkṣya (Garuḍa) zum Dreiaugigen Herrn (Śiva), um den ganzen Hergang zu berichten.

Word by Word

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — adverb

• पञ्चनदे: at Pañcanada (the place of five rivers)
• पञ्चनदे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चनद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular; द्विगुसमासः (पञ्च + नद)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular

• क्षीर-नीर-अधिज-आधवः: Ādhava, born from milk and water
• क्षीर-नीर-अधिज-आधवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक) + नीर (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिज (प्रातिपदिक) + आधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/बहुपदसमासः (क्षीरनीरयोः अधिजः = 'born from milk and water' + आधवः)

• संप्रेष्य: having sent
• संप्रेष्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्रेष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः — having sent/dispatching

• तार्क्ष्यम्: Tārkṣya (Garuḍa)
• तार्क्ष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• त्र्यक्ष-अग्रे: in front of the three-eyed one (Śiva)
• त्र्यक्ष-अग्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्र्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्र्यक्षस्य अग्रे)

• वृत्तान्त-विनिवेदितुम्: to report the account/news
• वृत्तान्त-विनिवेदितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्तान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + वि + नि + वेद् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive) — to report/announce; कर्म-तत्पुरुषः (वृत्तान्तं विनिवेदितुम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcanada Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Likely a sage such as Agastya (traditional Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Pañcanada’s sacred ford, Mādhava stands or sits in divine composure and dispatches Garuḍa skyward toward the three-eyed Śiva, as river-currents and pilgrims frame the moment.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcanada Tīrtha
• Mādhava (Viṣṇu)
• Tārkṣya (Garuḍa)
• Tryakṣa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine acts unfold through dharmic communication and mutual honoring—here, Viṣṇu respectfully sends a message to Śiva, reflecting harmony of traditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pañcanada Tīrtha, presented as the setting for a significant divine exchange within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite (snāna, dāna, japa) is stated in this verse; it functions as narrative framing tied to the tīrtha’s sanctity.