Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

सौभाग्यगौरी संपूज्या ज्ञानवाप्यां कृतोदकैः । ततः शृंगारगौरीं च तत्रैव च कृतोदकः

Transliteration

saubhāgyagaurī saṃpūjyā jñānavāpyāṃ kṛtodakaiḥ | tataḥ śṛṃgāragaurīṃ ca tatraiva ca kṛtodakaḥ

Translation

At Jñānavāpī, after taking the sacred water, Saubhāgya-Gaurī should be worshipped with full offerings. Then, having likewise taken water there itself, one should worship Śṛṅgāra-Gaurī.

Word by Word

• सौभाग्यगौरी: Saubhāgya-Gaurī
• सौभाग्यगौरी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौभाग्य-गौरी (प्रातिपदिक; components: सौभाग्य + गौरी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन

• संपूज्या: is to be worshipped
• संपूज्या: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + सम् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; विधेय (to be worshipped)

• ज्ञानवाप्याम्: in the Jñāna-vāpī (well)
• ज्ञानवाप्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान-वापी (प्रातिपदिक; components: ज्ञान + वापी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन; स्थानाधिकरण

• कृतोदकैः: with prepared water (ritually)
• कृतोदकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत-उदक (प्रातिपदिक; components: कृत (कृ-क्त) + उदक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (m./n. as adjective), तृतीया (instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘with prepared water/after making water-offering’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रमवाचक (then/thereafter)

• शृंगारगौरीम्: Śṛṅgāra-Gaurī
• शृंगारगौरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्गार-गौरी (प्रातिपदिक; components: शृङ्गार + गौरी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb: there)

• एव: indeed/right there
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphasis: indeed/just)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• कृतोदकः: having prepared the water (rite)
• कृतोदकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत-उदक (प्रातिपदिक; components: कृत (कृ-क्त) + उदक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि-विशेषण (one who has prepared water/has performed water-rite)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñānavāpī

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within the Jñānavāpī precinct, devotees draw water in brass vessels; two adjacent shrines/icons of Gaurī are honored—one emphasizing auspicious married fortune, the other adorned with ornaments and flowers for śṛṅgāra.

Characters & Entities

• Saubhāgya-Gaurī
• Jñānavāpī
• Śṛṅgāra-Gaurī
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred waters (like Jñānavāpī) are treated as carriers of śakti, empowering Gaurī worship and blessings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñānavāpī, alongside the Gaurī forms Saubhāgya-Gaurī and Śṛṅgāra-Gaurī in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Take ritual water at Jñānavāpī and perform complete worship first to Saubhāgya-Gaurī and then to Śṛṅgāra-Gaurī.