Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

शंखचक्रांकिततनुः शिरसां मंजरीधरः । गोपीचंदनलिप्तांगो दृष्टश्चेत्तदघं कुतः

Transliteration

śaṃkhacakrāṃkitatanuḥ śirasāṃ maṃjarīdharaḥ | gopīcaṃdanaliptāṃgo dṛṣṭaścettadaghaṃ kutaḥ

Translation

If one beholds a devotee whose body bears the marks of conch and discus, whose head is adorned with a tulasī sprig, and whose limbs are anointed with gopī-candana—then where could sin remain?

Word by Word

• शंखचक्रांकिततनुः: whose body is marked with conch and discus
• शंखचक्रांकिततनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्कित (अङ्क्-धातु + क्त) + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—यस्य तनुः शङ्खचक्राभ्याम् अङ्किता (whose body is marked with conch and discus)

• शिरसाम्: of (his) heads / on the head(s) (genitive relation)
• शिरसाम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मंजरीधरः: bearing a garland/cluster (on the head)
• मंजरीधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मञ्जरी (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (धृ-धातु से निष्पन्न प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गोपीचंदनलिप्तांगः: whose limbs are smeared with gopī-candana
• गोपीचंदनलिप्तांगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोपीचन्दन (प्रातिपदिक) + लिप्त (लिप्-धातु + क्त) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—यस्य अङ्गानि गोपीचन्दनेन लिप्तानि (whose limbs are smeared with gopī-candana)

• दृष्टः: seen
• दृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Hetu/Condition (Condition marker/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conditional particle)

• तत्: then/that
• तत्: Anaphora (Reference/अन्वय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अघम्: sin, evil
• अघम्: Karta/Karma (Subject or object per ellipsis/कर्ता-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कुतः: from where? how (could it be)?
• कुतः: Prashna (Question/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Interrogative adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaiṣṇava-darśana (as living tīrtha) within Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Vaiṣṇava devotee walks along a Kāśī lane/ghat: conch and discus emblems on arms/torso, tulasī sprig on the head, gopī-candana tilaka; onlookers’ dark aura of sin dissolves into light upon seeing him.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkha
• Cakra
• Tulasī (implied by mañjarī)
• Gopī-candana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Association and darśana of a visibly devoted Vaiṣṇava is celebrated as powerfully purifying, dispelling sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the emphasis is on sanctifying darśana within the broader Kāśī devotional ethos.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Adoption of Vaiṣṇava identity-marks (śaṅkha-cakra aṅkana), tulasī adornment, and gopī-candana anointment; and seeking/valuing such darśana.