Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तीर्थांतराणि च ततः क्रमवर्जितोपि संसाधयन्निह भवत्करुणाकटाक्षैः । दूरीकृतस्वहितघात्युपसर्गवर्गो ढुंढे लभेदविकलं फलमत्र काश्याम्

Transliteration

tīrthāṃtarāṇi ca tataḥ kramavarjitopi saṃsādhayanniha bhavatkaruṇākaṭākṣaiḥ | dūrīkṛtasvahitaghātyupasargavargo ḍhuṃḍhe labhedavikalaṃ phalamatra kāśyām

Translation

Then, even if one performs the observances connected with other tīrthas without the prescribed sequence, here—by the Lord’s merciful glance—one is freed from the host of obstacles that destroy one’s own welfare; and at Ḍhuṃḍhe in Kāśī one obtains the full, undiminished fruit.

Word by Word

• tīrtha-antarāṇi: other pilgrimage-places
• tīrtha-antarāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थान्तराणि)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Temporal/Source adjunct
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमबोधक-अव्यय (thereafter/from that)

• krama-varjitaḥ: devoid of proper sequence
• krama-varjitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक) + varjita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘वर्ज्’—वर्जितः; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (क्रमेण वर्जितः)

• api: even though
• api: Concessive marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि—सम्भावना/अपवादबोधक-अव्यय (even/though)

• saṃsādhayan: accomplishing/performing
• saṃsādhayan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + sādh (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ) परस्मैपद; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘सम्+साध्’—संसाधयन्

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• bhavat-karuṇā-kaṭākṣaiḥ: by your compassionate glances
• bhavat-karuṇā-kaṭākṣaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + karuṇā (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṭākṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (भवतः करुणाकटाक्षैः)

• dūrī-kṛta-sva-hita-ghāti-upasarga-vargaḥ: whose group of obstacles that harm one’s welfare has been driven far away
• dūrī-kṛta-sva-hita-ghāti-upasarga-vargaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dūrī (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + sva (प्रातिपदिक) + hita (प्रातिपदिक) + ghātin (प्रातिपदिक) + upasarga (प्रातिपदिक) + varga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः; ‘दूरीकृत’ (क्त, कृ) + ‘स्वहितघाति’ (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष) + ‘उपसर्गवर्गः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); समस्तं विशेषणम्

• ḍhuṃḍhe: O Ḍhuṃḍhi
• ḍhuṃḍhe: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ḍhuṃḍhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• labhet: would obtain
• labhet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• avikalam: unimpaired/complete
• avikalam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-vikala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (फलम्)

• phalam: fruit/result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ḍhuṃḍhe (Ḍhuṃḍhivināyaka)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer (frame interlocutor not explicit in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, having attempted various tīrtha rites out of sequence, stands before Ḍhuṃḍhivināyaka in Kāśī; a soft divine ‘glance’ (karuṇā-kaṭākṣa) descends, dispersing dark clouds of obstacles.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Ḍhuṃḍha (tīrtha/shrine)
• Īśvara/Śiva (implied as the recipient of address)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is uniquely compassionate: by the Lord’s grace, even imperfectly ordered tīrtha-practices yield complete merit, and obstacles that harm one’s true welfare are removed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ḍhuṃḍha in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is praised as a place where the pilgrim receives the full, undiminished fruit of sacred observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse alludes to accomplishing tīrtha-related observances (tīrthāntara-sādhana); it emphasizes that even if done without the proper sequence (krama), Kāśī grants the complete result through divine grace.