Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

शंखचक्रांकिततनुः शिरसां मंजरीधरः । गोपीचंदनलिप्तांगो दृष्टश्चेत्तदघं कुतः

Transliteration

śaṃkhacakrāṃkitatanuḥ śirasāṃ maṃjarīdharaḥ | gopīcaṃdanaliptāṃgo dṛṣṭaścettadaghaṃ kutaḥ

Translation

Si l’on voit un dévot dont le corps porte les marques de la Conque et du Disque, dont la tête est ornée d’un brin de Tulasī, et dont les membres sont oints de gopī-candana, où donc le péché pourrait-il demeurer ?

Word by Word

• शंखचक्रांकिततनुः: whose body is marked with conch and discus
• शंखचक्रांकिततनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्कित (अङ्क्-धातु + क्त) + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—यस्य तनुः शङ्खचक्राभ्याम् अङ्किता (whose body is marked with conch and discus)

• शिरसाम्: of (his) heads / on the head(s) (genitive relation)
• शिरसाम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मंजरीधरः: bearing a garland/cluster (on the head)
• मंजरीधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मञ्जरी (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (धृ-धातु से निष्पन्न प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गोपीचंदनलिप्तांगः: whose limbs are smeared with gopī-candana
• गोपीचंदनलिप्तांगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोपीचन्दन (प्रातिपदिक) + लिप्त (लिप्-धातु + क्त) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—यस्य अङ्गानि गोपीचन्दनेन लिप्तानि (whose limbs are smeared with gopī-candana)

• दृष्टः: seen
• दृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Hetu/Condition (Condition marker/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conditional particle)

• तत्: then/that
• तत्: Anaphora (Reference/अन्वय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अघम्: sin, evil
• अघम्: Karta/Karma (Subject or object per ellipsis/कर्ता-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कुतः: from where? how (could it be)?
• कुतः: Prashna (Question/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Interrogative adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaiṣṇava-darśana (as living tīrtha) within Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Vaiṣṇava devotee walks along a Kāśī lane/ghat: conch and discus emblems on arms/torso, tulasī sprig on the head, gopī-candana tilaka; onlookers’ dark aura of sin dissolves into light upon seeing him.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkha
• Cakra
• Tulasī (implied by mañjarī)
• Gopī-candana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Association and darśana of a visibly devoted Vaiṣṇava is celebrated as powerfully purifying, dispelling sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the emphasis is on sanctifying darśana within the broader Kāśī devotional ethos.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Adoption of Vaiṣṇava identity-marks (śaṅkha-cakra aṅkana), tulasī adornment, and gopī-candana anointment; and seeking/valuing such darśana.