Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

हिरण्यगर्भो विज्ञेयः स साक्षाद्वटरूपधृक् । तत्समीपे द्विजान्भक्त्या संभोज्याक्षय पुण्यभाक्

Transliteration

hiraṇyagarbho vijñeyaḥ sa sākṣādvaṭarūpadhṛk | tatsamīpe dvijānbhaktyā saṃbhojyākṣaya puṇyabhāk

Translation

Know that Hiraṇyagarbha is truly manifest there, taking the very form of the banyan. Feeding the dvijas (the twice-born) with devotion near it, one becomes a recipient of imperishable merit (puṇya).

Word by Word

• हिरण्यगर्भः: Hiraṇyagarbha
• हिरण्यगर्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य-गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (हिरण्यस्य गर्भः/हिरण्यगर्भः)

• विज्ञेयः: to be known/recognized
• विज्ञेयः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विधेय/भाव्यकृदन्त (gerundive: to be known); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular); सर्वनाम

• साक्षात्: directly
• साक्षात्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: directly)

• वटरूपधृक्: bearing the form of a banyan tree
• वटरूपधृक्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वट-रूप-धृक् (धृ धातु-निष्पन्न प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वटस्य रूपं धृणोति इति)

• तत्समीपे: near that (place/tree)
• तत्समीपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्-समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (तस्य समीपे)

• द्विजान्: Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (accusative plural)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• सम्भोज्य: having fed/entertained
• सम्भोज्य: Kriya (Prior action/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-भुज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive: having fed/entertained)

• अक्षयः: imperishable
• अक्षयः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of implied subject: puṇyabhāk)

• पुण्यभाक्: partaking of merit; meritorious
• पुण्यभाक्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य-भाज्/भाक् (भज् धातु-निष्पन्न प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पुण्यं भजते/लभते इति)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Akṣaya-vaṭa (Hiraṇyagarbha-svarūpa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Under the banyan identified as Hiraṇyagarbha, a devotee respectfully serves food to seated brāhmaṇas; the tree subtly radiates a golden cosmic aura; offerings and water pots are arranged neatly.

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyagarbha
• Akṣaya-vaṭa
• Dvija
• Prayāga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional charity at a sacred site yields enduring merit, especially when performed near a divinely charged locus like Akṣaya-vaṭa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Akṣaya-vaṭa at Prayāga, identified with Hiraṇyagarbha’s manifestation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dvija-bhojana (feeding Brāhmaṇas) performed with bhakti near Akṣaya-vaṭa.