Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

चक्रपुष्करिणी तीर्थं पुराख्यातमिदं शुभम् । त्वया चक्रेण खननाच्छंखचक्रगदाधर

Transliteration

cakrapuṣkariṇī tīrthaṃ purākhyātamidaṃ śubham | tvayā cakreṇa khananācchaṃkhacakragadādhara

Translation

This auspicious tīrtha has been famed since ancient times as Cakrapuṣkariṇī, for you excavated it with your discus—O bearer of conch, discus, and mace.

Word by Word

• चक्रपुष्करिणी: Cakrapuṣkariṇī (name of the pond/tīrtha)
• चक्रपुष्करिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्करिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चक्रस्य पुष्करिणी)

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Samanaadhikarana (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (formerly)

• आख्यातम्: renowned/called
• आख्यातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु) → आख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त/PPP)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Samanaadhikarana (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• चक्रेण: with the discus
• चक्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• खननात्: from digging; by the act of digging
• खननात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्

• शंख-चक्र-गदा-धर: O bearer of conch, discus, and mace
• शंख-चक्र-गदा-धर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गदा (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (शंखं चक्रं गदां च धरति इति)

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Viṣṇu, inferred from vocative chaṅkha-cakra-gadā-dhara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakrapuṣkariṇī

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu, bearing conch, discus, and mace, excavates/creates a sacred pond (puṣkariṇī) with the spinning cakra; the earth opens to reveal pure waters, establishing Cakrapuṣkariṇī.

Characters & Entities

• Cakrapuṣkariṇī
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s tīrthas embody divine cooperation, showing that sacred space is upheld by multiple forms of the Divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cakrapuṣkariṇī tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is listed here; the verse provides the tīrtha’s origin and sanctifying act.