Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

ततो व्रजन्ददर्शाग्रे पुण्यराशिस्तपोधनः । चंचच्चंद्रगताभासां भाग्यवानिव सुश्रियम्

Transliteration

tato vrajandadarśāgre puṇyarāśistapodhanaḥ | caṃcaccaṃdragatābhāsāṃ bhāgyavāniva suśriyam

Translation

Then, as he proceeded, the tapodhana—treasure-house of austerity—beheld ahead a sacred splendor, shimmering like the moon’s moving light, as though good fortune itself had taken form.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (then/from there)

• vrajan: going
• vrajan: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vraj (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• dadarśa: saw
• dadarśa: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• agre: in front/ahead
• agre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (in front/ahead)

• puṇya-rāśiḥ: a heap of merit; very meritorious one
• puṇya-rāśiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya + rāśi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समास (पुण्यः राशिः)

• tapo-dhanaḥ: one whose wealth is austerity
• tapo-dhanaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas + dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तपसः धनम्)

• caṃcat: trembling/shimmering
• caṃcat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √cañc (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ) विशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (आभासाम् इति विशेष्ये)

• caṃdra-gata-ābhāsām: having a moon-like radiance
• caṃdra-gata-ābhāsām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caṃdra + gata + ābhāsā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (चन्द्रे गता आभासा यस्याः/यस्य)

• bhāgyavān: fortunate
• bhāgyavān: Karta (Comparand/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāgyavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• iva: as if/like
• iva: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• su-śriyam: the beautiful lady (Śrī-like)
• su-śriyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su + śrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सुन्दर-श्रीः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (site of Śrī-darśana within Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kathā-audience (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya, radiant with ascetic power, looks ahead and sees a moon-shimmering feminine splendor—Śrī herself—standing like embodied good fortune, her aura rippling as if moonlight were moving.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya (implied)
• Mahālakṣmī (implied by following verses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit and tapas culminate in darśana—divine beauty is portrayed as the visible fruit of accumulated puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sacred sphere, where divine splendor is encountered as a living presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the emphasis is on puṇya and tapas leading to a blessed vision.