Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अथ सा नर्मदा पुण्या विधिपूर्वां प्रतिष्ठितिम् । व्यधात्पिलिपिलातीर्थे त्रिविषिष्टपसमीपतः

Transliteration

atha sā narmadā puṇyā vidhipūrvāṃ pratiṣṭhitim | vyadhātpilipilātīrthe triviṣiṣṭapasamīpataḥ

Translation

Darauf vollzog die heilige Narmadā die Einsetzungszeremonie nach rechter Überlieferung am Pilipilā-Tīrtha, nahe der Wohnstatt der Dreiunddreißig Götter.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक: सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुण्या: holy
• पुण्या: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (नर्मदा-विशेषण)

• विधिपूर्वाम्: preceded by due rite; according to rule
• विधिपूर्वाम्: Karma (Qualifier of object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vidhi + pūrvā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विधिना पूर्वा/विधिपूर्वकः)

• प्रतिष्ठितिम्: establishment, installation
• प्रतिष्ठितिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratiṣṭhiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• व्यधात्: she performed/established
• व्यधात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhā (धा धातु) + वि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/अङ्गतकाल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पिलिपिलातीर्थे: at the Pilipilā ford/sacred place
• पिलिपिलातीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pilipilā + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पिलिपिलायाः तीर्थम्)

• त्रिविषिष्टपसमीपतः: from near (the place) of the three distinguished ascetics/penances
• त्रिविषिष्टपसमीपतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tri + viśiṣṭa + pa (प्रातिपदिक) + samīpatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb: from near); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (त्रिभिः विशिष्टैः पाभिः/पैः? 'त्रिविषिष्टप' इति पाठे अर्थः: त्रिविषिष्ट-तपः/तपस्वि-विशेषः; 'समīपतः' = समीपात्)

Speaker

Skanda (narrating)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pilipilā Tīrtha

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a named Kāśī tīrtha: Narmadā (as river-goddess) performs a formal liṅga-pratiṣṭhā beside a sacred water-spot; devas (the Thirty-Three) appear nearby, witnessing; priests conduct homa and abhiṣeka.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Pilipilā Tīrtha
• Triviṣiṣṭapa (the Thirty-Three gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Properly performed worship (vidhi) at a powerful tīrtha becomes especially fruitful and sanctifying.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pilipilā Tīrtha in the Kāśī sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vidhi-pūrvā pratiṣṭhā—performing the liṅga installation according to prescribed ritual procedure.