Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा पिशंगिला तीर्थे दत्त्वा दानं च किंचन । किं शोचति कृतात्पापादन्यत्रापि मृतो यदि

Transliteration

snātvā piśaṃgilā tīrthe dattvā dānaṃ ca kiṃcana | kiṃ śocati kṛtātpāpādanyatrāpi mṛto yadi

Translation

Having bathed at the Piśaṃgilā ford and having given some charity, why should a person grieve over sins formerly committed—even if he should die elsewhere?

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); धातु: स्ना (स्नाने)

• पिशंगिला: at Piśaṃgilā
• पिशंगिला: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशंगिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचनार्थे (तीर्थ-नाम; स्थान-सूचन)

• तीर्थे: in the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); धातु: दा (दाने)

• दानम्: a gift; charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• किंचन: some; a little
• किंचन: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किंचन (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-परिमाणवाचक (indefinite) विशेषणम्

• किम्: why? what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-प्रश्न (interrogative particle used adverbially)

• शोचति: grieves
• शोचति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कृतात्: from committed (done)
• कृतात्: Hetu (Cause/Source)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• पापात्: from sin
• पापात्: Hetu (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: देश-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of place)

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• मृतः: dead; having died
• मृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (मृ धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: शर्त-निपात (conditional conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Piśaṃgilā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim completes a river-bath at dawn, then offers a small gift to a needy person; the verse’s tone is consoling—no grief for past sins, no fear even if death occurs elsewhere.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Piśaṃgilā Tīrtha
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Dāna
• Snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snānā and even modest dāna can dissolve the burden of past sins, replacing fear with confidence in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Piśaṃgilā Tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at the tīrtha and giving some dāna (charitable offering).