Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

यत्फलं तीर्थराजस्य स्नानेन परिकीर्त्यते । सहस्रगुणितं तत्स्याद्धर्मांधु स्नानमात्रतः

Transliteration

yatphalaṃ tīrtharājasya snānena parikīrtyate | sahasraguṇitaṃ tatsyāddharmāṃdhu snānamātrataḥ

Translation

Cualquier mérito que se proclame por bañarse en el Rey de los Tīrthas, ese mismo mérito se vuelve mil veces mayor con sólo bañarse en Dharmāṃdhu.

Word by Word

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Correlative/यद्-तद्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom./acc. sg.)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom./acc. sg.)

• तीर्थराजस्य: of the king of tīrthas
• तीर्थराजस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (masc. gen. sg.); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तीर्थाणां राजा)

• स्नानेन: by bathing
• स्नानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (neuter instr. sg.)

• परिकीर्त्यते: is proclaimed
• परिकीर्त्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (present, 3rd sg.)

• सहस्रगुणितम्: multiplied a thousandfold
• सहस्रगुणितम्: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र + गुणित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष (सहस्रेण गुणितम् = multiplied by a thousand); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (optative, 3rd sg.)

• धर्मांधु: at Dharmāndhu
• धर्मांधु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (masc. loc. sg.)—स्थानवाचक/विषयवाचक (in/at Dharmāndhu); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• स्नानमात्रतः: merely by (the act of) bathing
• स्नानमात्रतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्नान + मात्र + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: “merely from bathing”); समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्नानस्य मात्रम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāṃdhu

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of the Kāśī-māhātmya discourse (not specified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: on one side the celebrated Tīrtha-rāja (often envisioned as Prayāga saṅgama) with two rivers meeting; on the other side Dharmāṃdhu at Kāśī glowing brighter, with a thousand tiny rays/lotuses emanating to signify sahasraguṇa merit; pilgrims bathe with uplifted hands.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāṃdhu (tīrtha)
• Tīrtharāja (King of Tīrthas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In the Purāṇic vision, certain sacred places concentrate spiritual potency; Dharmāṃdhu is praised as extraordinarily merit-giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāṃdhu tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Dharmāṃdhu is presented as the key act.