Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

श्वेतद्वीपे नरः स्नात्वा ज्ञानकेशवसन्निधौ । न ज्ञानाद्भ्रश्यते क्वापि ज्ञानकेशवपूजनात्

Transliteration

śvetadvīpe naraḥ snātvā jñānakeśavasannidhau | na jñānādbhraśyate kvāpi jñānakeśavapūjanāt

Translation

Wer in Śvetadvīpa in der Gegenwart Jñānakeśavas badet, fällt nirgends vom Wissen ab; so groß ist die Kraft der Verehrung Jñānakeśavas.

Word by Word

• श्वेतद्वीपे: in Śvetadvīpa
• श्वेतद्वीपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत-द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (श्वेतः द्वीपः)

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund); धातुः √स्ना (2P)

• ज्ञानकेशवसन्निधौ: in the presence of Jñānakeśava
• ज्ञानकेशवसन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान-केशव-सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (ज्ञानकेशवस्य सन्निधिः)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• ज्ञानात्: from knowledge
• ज्ञानात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भ्रश्यते: falls away/declines
• भ्रश्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रंश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; धातुः √भ्रंश् (4Ā)

• क्वापि: anywhere
• क्वापि: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चयः; ‘क्व’ (interrog./indef. adverb) + ‘अपि’ (particle) = ‘anywhere’

• ज्ञानकेशवपूजनात्: from/through worship of Jñānakeśava
• ज्ञानकेशवपूजनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान-केशव-पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (ज्ञानकेशवस्य पूजनम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śvetadvīpa-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim completes snāna in bright waters, then stands before Jñānakeśava with a calm, focused gaze; a subtle aura around the head suggests stabilized wisdom; attendants hold towels and water pots; the scene is quiet and inward.

Characters & Entities

• Śvetadvīpa
• Jñānakeśava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity (snāna) joined with devotion (pūjā) stabilizes higher knowledge and prevents spiritual decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śvetadvīpa-tīrtha in Kāśī, specifically at the presence (sannidhi) of Jñānakeśava.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at Śvetadvīpa and pūjā (worship) of Jñānakeśava.