Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

हरिश्चंद्रस्य राजर्षस्ततस्तीर्थमनुत्तमम् । यत्र स्नातो नरो जातु न सत्याच्चयवते कचित्

Transliteration

hariścaṃdrasya rājarṣastatastīrthamanuttamam | yatra snāto naro jātu na satyāccayavate kacit

Translation

Als Nächstes ist das unvergleichliche Tīrtha des königlichen Weisen Hariścandra. Wer dort badet, fällt niemals und zu keiner Zeit von der Wahrhaftigkeit ab.

Word by Word

• हरिश्चन्द्रस्य: of Hariścandra
• हरिश्चन्द्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिश्चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• राजर्षेः: of the royal sage
• राजर्षेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ततः: thereupon/then
• ततः: Adhikarana/Context (circumstantial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford; pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (object/complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: देशवाचक-सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb ‘where’)

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (agent/subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्नात (स्ना धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जातु: ever, at any time
• जातु: Adverbial (time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जातु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: कालवाचक (temporal particle ‘ever/at any time’)

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• सत्यात्: from truth
• सत्यात्: Apadana (source/ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• च्यवते: falls away, deviates
• च्यवते: Kriya (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: च्यु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कचित्: anywhere/ever
• कचित्: Adverbial (indefinite)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: अनिश्चित-स्थान/कालवाचक (indefinite ‘anywhere/ever’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hariścandra-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a Kāśī water-edge performs snāna with folded hands; a regal, austere Hariścandra is envisioned as a dharma-guardian presence, with subtle iconographic cues of truth (upright posture, clear gaze).

Characters & Entities

• Hariścandra
• Harīścandra-tīrtha
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is meant to stabilize dharma; bathing at this tīrtha is praised as strengthening unwavering truthfulness (satya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Harīścandra-tīrtha in Kāśī, associated with the famed king-sage Hariścandra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the Harīścandra-tīrtha.