Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

तत्राद्यापि महातीर्थं त्रिस्रोतस्यतिनिर्मले । पुण्ये पिलिपिलानाम्नि त्रिसरित्परिसेविते

Transliteration

tatrādyāpi mahātīrthaṃ trisrotasyatinirmale | puṇye pilipilānāmni trisaritparisevite

Translation

Noch heute befindet sich dort ein großes Tīrtha von überragender Reinheit, am Trisrotas — dem Zusammenfluss der drei Ströme —, am heiligen Ort namens Pilipilā, von drei Flüssen umgeben und geheiligt.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) / Indeclinable adverb of place

• अद्यापि: even today; still
• अद्यापि: Sambandha (Temporal qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; कालवाचक अव्यय / Indeclinable temporal adverb

• महा-तीर्थम्: the great sacred ford/pilgrimage-place
• महा-तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन / Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular

• त्रि-स्रोतस्य: of the three-streamed (place)
• त्रि-स्रोतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + स्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन / Neuter, Genitive singular (qualifying)

• अति-निर्मले: in the exceedingly pure (place)
• अति-निर्मले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन / Neuter, Locative singular (agreeing with implied 'तीर्थे')

• पुण्ये: in the holy (place)
• पुण्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन / Neuter, Locative singular

• पिलिपिल-नाम्नि: in (the place) named Pilipila
• पिलिपिल-नाम्नि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिलिपिल (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन / Neuter, Locative singular

• त्रि-सरित्-परिसेविते: in (the place) frequented/served by three rivers
• त्रि-सरित्-परिसेविते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + सरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + परिसेवित (कृदन्त; √सेव्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन / Past participle, Neuter, Locative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pilipilā (Trisrotas-tīrtha)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous three-stream confluence with clear waters; pilgrims on a sandy/stone ford; distant Kāśī skyline; subtle presence of Śiva’s sanctifying gaze implied by light falling on the water.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied)
• Trisrotas (three-stream confluence)
• Pilipilā (tīrtha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography itself becomes a purifier: certain confluences and river-tīrthas in Kāśī are celebrated as intrinsically merit-giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pilipilā—described as a great tīrtha of the Trisrotas (three-stream confluence) served by three rivers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit act is prescribed in this verse; it introduces the tīrtha’s identity and purity, preparing for bathing/ritual instructions in subsequent verses.