Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

संसारचक्रे गहने यत्र स्नातो विशेन्नना । चक्रपुष्करिणी तीर्थ ममाधिष्ठानमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

saṃsāracakre gahane yatra snāto viśennanā | cakrapuṣkariṇī tīrtha mamādhiṣṭhānamuttamam

Translation

Im dichten und schwer zu durchdringenden Rad des Saṃsāra tritt, wer dort badet, ohne Fehl in den rettenden Pfad ein. Das Tīrtha der Cakrapuṣkariṇī ist mein höchster Sitz (adhiṣṭhāna).

Word by Word

• संसारचक्रे: in the wheel of saṃsāra
• संसारचक्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (संसारस्य चक्रे)

• गहने: deep, hard to cross
• गहने: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (चक्रे)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नात (स्ना-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (having bathed)

• विशेत्: should enter
• विशेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + विश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: वि

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अना: (unclear reading)
• अना: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अना (अव्यय/पाठभेद)
• Form: अव्यय; पाठदोष/अस्पष्ट-रूपम् (possibly ‘अन्यथा/पुनः’ इत्यर्थे)

• चक्रपुष्करिणी: Cakrapuṣkariṇī
• चक्रपुष्करिणी: Sambodhana/Topic (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र + पुष्करिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तीर्थ: tīrtha, sacred ford
• तीर्थ: Sambodhana/Topic (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे/वाक्यविषयः

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• अधिष्ठानम्: abode, seat
• अधिष्ठानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिष्ठान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (अधिष्ठानम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakrapuṣkariṇī

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic depiction of saṃsāra as a dark, thorny wheel around the world; at its center, the bright waters of Cakrapuṣkariṇī form a luminous gateway. Skanda’s presence is suggested as a radiant guardian of the tīrtha-seat.

Characters & Entities

• Cakrapuṣkariṇī
• Saṃsāra (cycle of existence)
• Kāśī (Varanasi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A Kāśī tīrtha is presented as a direct support for transcending saṃsāra, with snāna as the gateway act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cakrapuṣkariṇī Tīrtha, praised as a ‘supreme seat’ (uttama adhiṣṭhāna).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing (snāna) at Cakrapuṣkariṇī is highlighted as the key practice.