Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच । आसीत्काश्यां पुरा कश्चित्त्रिदण्डी मोक्षधर्मवित् । जपन्दशाश्वेमेधे तु गायत्रीं च समाहितः

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha uvāca | āsītkāśyāṃ purā kaścittridaṇḍī mokṣadharmavit | japandaśāśvemedhe tu gāyatrīṃ ca samāhitaḥ

Translation

Vasiṣṭha sprach: „Einst lebte in Kāśī ein Tridaṇḍin, kundig der Dharma der Befreiung. Mit gesammelt-gerichtetem Geist rezitierte er die Gāyatrī, deren Verdienst zehn Aśvamedha-Opfern gleichkommt.“

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• आसीत्: there was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time: formerly)

• कश्चित्: a certain (one)
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• त्रिदण्डी: a tridaṇḍin (ascetic with three staffs)
• त्रिदण्डी: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि-दण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दण्डिन्-प्रत्ययान्त

• मोक्षधर्मवित्: knower of the dharma of liberation
• मोक्षधर्मवित्: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष-धर्म-विद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विद् (ज्ञाता) अर्थे

• जपन्: reciting/muttering
• जपन्: Karta (Participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जप् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दशाश्वमेधे: in (the rite of) ten Aśvamedhas
• दशाश्वमेधे: Adhikarana (Context/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश-अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (दश अश्वमेधाः)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात

• गायत्रीम्: the Gāyatrī (mantra)
• गायत्रीम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• समाहितः: collected/concentrated
• समाहितः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-√धा (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dilīpa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tridaṇḍin ascetic in Kāśī sits in meditation, holding a staff (threefold daṇḍa), chanting Gāyatrī with focused gaze; the Gaṅgā and temple spires form a quiet sacred backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Tridaṇḍin
• Gāyatrī
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra-japa performed with deep concentration is exalted as a direct, liberation-oriented practice, surpassing or equaling grand ritual sacrifices in merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is presented as the setting for a mokṣa-oriented ascetic life and potent spiritual practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gāyatrī-japa with samādhi-like focus is highlighted, with its merit compared to ten Aśvamedha sacrifices.