Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

व्यासेश्वरः प्रयत्नेन द्रष्टव्यः काशिवासिभिः । घंटाकर्णकृतस्नानैः क्षेत्रपातकभीरुभिः

Transliteration

vyāseśvaraḥ prayatnena draṣṭavyaḥ kāśivāsibhiḥ | ghaṃṭākarṇakṛtasnānaiḥ kṣetrapātakabhīrubhiḥ

Translation

Die Bewohner von Kāśī sollen mit ernstem Bemühen den Liṅga Vyāseśvaras aufsuchen und schauen—jene, die bei Ghaṇṭākarṇa gebadet haben und aus Furcht vor den im heiligen Kṣetra begangenen Sünden Läuterung suchen.

Word by Word

• व्यासेश्वरः: Vyāseśvara (Lord of Vyāsa)
• व्यासेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (व्यासस्य ईश्वरः)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/उपायार्थे

• द्रष्टव्यः: is to be seen / should be visited
• द्रष्टव्यः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → द्रष्टव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्-प्रत्ययः, gerundive/obligative), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणरूपेण (is to be seen)

• काशिवासिभिः: by the residents of Kāśī
• काशिवासिभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (काश्यां वासिनः)

• घंटाकर्णकृतस्नानैः: by those whose bath was performed at Ghaṇṭākarṇa (tīrtha)
• घंटाकर्णकृतस्नानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घंटाकर्ण + कृत + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः (घंटाकर्णे कृतं स्नानं येषां तैः) — बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास-समाहारः

• क्षेत्रपातकभीरुभिः: by those afraid of sins (incurred) in the sacred field
• क्षेत्रपातकभीरुभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षेत्र + पातक + भीरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (क्षेत्रे पातकेभ्यः भीरवः) विशेषणम् (काशिवासिभिः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative mode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vyāseśvara; Ghaṇṭākarṇa-snānīya (associated tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśī-māhātmya audience (sages/pilgrims)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims of Kāśī, freshly bathed at the Ghaṇṭākarṇa tīrtha, approach the Vyāseśvara liṅga with folded hands, carrying water-vessels and bilva leaves; temple bells and riverine ambience frame the act of darśana.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāseśvara
• Kāśī
• Ghaṇṭākarṇa (tīrtha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Earnest pilgrimage and Śiva-darśana in Kāśī are praised as a means to overcome fear of sin and seek purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vyāseśvara in Kāśī is the focus, with Ghaṇṭākarṇa-tīrtha mentioned as a purifying bathing place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Ghaṇṭākarṇa and purposeful darśana (visitation) of Vyāseśvara.