Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

स्नायाद्योभिलषन्मोक्षं कामानन्यान्विहाय च । सोपि मोक्षमवाप्नोति कामदात्तीर्थराजतः

Transliteration

snāyādyobhilaṣanmokṣaṃ kāmānanyānvihāya ca | sopi mokṣamavāpnoti kāmadāttīrtharājataḥ

Translation

Whoever bathes here, longing for liberation and abandoning other desires—he too attains liberation from the King of Tīrthas, the grantor of boons.

Word by Word

• स्नायात्: should bathe
• स्नायात्: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (he should bathe)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• अभिलषन्: desiring
• अभिलषन्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-√लष् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (desiring)

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कामान्: desires
• कामान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• अन्यान्: other
• अन्यान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• विहाय: having abandoned
• विहाय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-√हा (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having abandoned)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha-bodhaka (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अवाप्नोति: attains
• अवाप्नोति: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कामदात्: from the giver of desires
• कामदात्: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम-द (प्रातिपदिक; काम + द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन (abl. sg.); अपादान (from the giver of desires)

• तीर्थराजतः: from the king of tīrthas
• तीर्थराजतः: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-राज (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ + राज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन (abl. sg.)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga (Tīrtharāja, Kāmadātā)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame assumed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone pilgrim at dawn steps into the saṅgama with folded hands, eyes closed, renunciant demeanor; the confluence glows, suggesting the ‘boon-giving’ power of the tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Tīrtharāja
• Snāna
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A niṣkāma (desireless) heart transforms a sacred bath into a direct means toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga, hailed as Tīrtharāja (King of Tīrthas).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) with the aim of mokṣa, while renouncing other desires.