Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

कोटितीर्थे ह्रदे स्नात्वा कोटीशं परिपूज्य च । गवां कोटिप्रदानस्य फलमाप्नोति मानवः

Transliteration

koṭitīrthe hrade snātvā koṭīśaṃ paripūjya ca | gavāṃ koṭipradānasya phalamāpnoti mānavaḥ

Translation

Wer im See von Koṭitīrtha badet und Koṭīśa in rechter Weise verehrt, erlangt Verdienst, das der Gabe von zehn Millionen Kühen gleichkommt.

Word by Word

• कोटितीर्थे: at Koṭitīrtha
• कोटितीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘कोट्याः तीर्थम्’/‘कोटि-तीर्थम्’ (place-name)

• ह्रदे: in the lake
• ह्रदे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having bathed’

• कोटीशम्: Koṭīśa
• कोटीशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• परिपूज्य: having duly worshipped
• परिपूज्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) उपसर्गः ‘परि-’; ‘having worshipped’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• कोटिप्रदानस्य: of the giving of a crore (of cows)
• कोटिप्रदानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘कोट्या प्रदानम्’

• फलम्: the fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

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

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭitīrtha and Koṭīśvara/Koṭīśa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim descends stone steps into a calm lake (hrada) labeled Koṭitīrtha; after bathing, they approach a small Koṭīśvara liṅga shrine with lamps and bilva leaves; a celestial scale subtly hints that the act equals gifting ‘koṭi’ cows.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Koṭitīrtha
• Koṭīśa/Koṭīśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī tīrtha-sevā (bathing and worship) is extolled as generating vast merit comparable to the highest forms of charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Koṭitīrtha (its lake) and the Koṭīśa liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna in Koṭitīrtha’s lake followed by paripūjā (full worship) of Koṭīśa.