Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

तीर्थं दशाश्वमेधाख्यं प्रथितं जगतीतले । तदा प्रभृति तत्रासीद्वाराणस्यां शुभप्रदम्

Transliteration

tīrthaṃ daśāśvamedhākhyaṃ prathitaṃ jagatītale | tadā prabhṛti tatrāsīdvārāṇasyāṃ śubhapradam

Translation

So wurde auf Erden diese Tīrtha unter dem Namen „Daśāśvamedha“ berühmt; seit jener Zeit besteht sie in Vārāṇasī als Spenderin von Heil und Glückverheißung.

Word by Word

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दशाश्वमेधाख्यम्: named ‘Daśāśvamedha’
• दशाश्वमेधाख्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश + अश्वमेध + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: दश-अश्वमेध इति आख्या यस्य (तत्पुरुष)

• प्रथितम्: renowned
• प्रथितम्: Kriyā (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘renowned’

• जगतीतले: on the surface of the earth/world
• जगतीतले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समास: जगतः तलम् (तत्पुरुष)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक

• प्रभृति: from then onward
• प्रभृति: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालारम्भवाचक (since)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Locative adverb/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• आसीत्: was, existed
• आसीत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शुभप्रदम्: bestowing auspiciousness
• शुभप्रदम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: शुभं प्रददाति इति (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daśāśvamedha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-facing view of Daśāśvamedha ghāṭa: broad steps descending to Gaṅgā, banners and temple spires, crowds performing snāna and offerings; a subtle aura indicating ‘śubha-prada’ quality.

Characters & Entities

• Daśāśvamedha Tīrtha
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is not merely a location but a sanctified continuity of sacred history that keeps granting śubha (auspicious good).

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Daśāśvamedha Tīrtha in Vārāṇasī (Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct injunction is stated here; the verse establishes the tīrtha’s fame and auspicious potency, implying merit through visitation and worship.