Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

लक्ष्मीतीर्थात्परं जग्मुः षोडशैव शतानि च । पिशाचमोचनात्सप्त सहस्राणि द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

lakṣmītīrthātparaṃ jagmuḥ ṣoḍaśaiva śatāni ca | piśācamocanātsapta sahasrāṇi dvijottamāḥ

Translation

Von Lakṣmī-tīrtha zogen sie weiter—sechzehnhundert an der Zahl; und von Piśācamocana kamen siebentausend erhabene Dvijas, die Zweimalgeborenen.

Word by Word

• लक्ष्मीतीर्थात्: from Lakṣmī-tīrtha
• लक्ष्मीतीर्थात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; लक्ष्मी + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (लक्ष्म्याः तीर्थम्)

• परम्: further/after that
• परम्: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे अव्ययप्रयोगः (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘परम्’ = further/afterwards

• जग्मुः: they went
• जग्मुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्याशब्द; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचकः; ‘शतानि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• पिशाचमोचनात्: from Piśāca-mocana (the ‘release from piśācas’ place)
• पिशाचमोचनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच-मोचन (प्रातिपदिक; पिशाच + मोचन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (पिशाचानां मोचनम्)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्याशब्द; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचकः; ‘सहस्राणि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• द्विजोत्तमाः: excellent Brahmins
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (द्विजेषु उत्तमाः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lakṣmī Tīrtha; Piśācamocana

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two sacred sites: Lakṣmī Tīrtha depicted with auspicious symbols (lotus, śrī-vatsa motifs) and orderly pilgrims; Piśācamocana shown as a powerful cleansing water with protective shrine lamps, where afflicted shadows dissolve as devotees bathe—symbolic exorcism through sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Śiva
• Lakṣmī Tīrtha
• Piśācamocana
• Dvijottamas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s tīrthas are portrayed as granting protection and purification (mocana), drawing large communities toward Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lakṣmī-tīrtha and especially Piśācamocana, famed by name for liberating beings from harmful afflictions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; Piśācamocana’s name implies purificatory snāna and worship for relief from negative forces.