Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधादियागाश्च प्रयागस्य रजः पुनः । तुलितं ब्रह्मणा पूर्वं न ते तद्रजसा समाः

Transliteration

aśvamedhādiyāgāśca prayāgasya rajaḥ punaḥ | tulitaṃ brahmaṇā pūrvaṃ na te tadrajasā samāḥ

Translation

Les sacrifices commençant par l’Aśvamedha furent jadis pesés par Brahmā face à la poussière de Prayāga ; ils ne l’égalaient pas, cette poussière.

Word by Word

• अश्वमेध-आदि-यागाः: sacrifices such as the Aśvamedha
• अश्वमेध-आदि-यागाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; समाससमूहः (‘अश्वमेधः आदिः येषां ते यागाः’)

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

• प्रयागस्य: of Prayāga
• प्रयागस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular

• रजः: dust
• रजः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• पुनः: again/further
• पुनः: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरुक्त्यर्थक — Indeclinable, adverb (‘again/further’)

• तुलितम्: was weighed/compared
• तुलितम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुल् (धातु) → तुलित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगे अव्ययवत् — Indeclinable adverb (‘formerly/before’)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध — Indeclinable, negation particle

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तत्-रजसा: with that dust
• तत्-रजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Singular; तत्पुरुषः (‘तेन रजसा’)

• समाः: equal
• समाः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā with a cosmic balance scale weighs a heap of Prayāga’s dust against symbols of grand sacrifices (horse, yajña-vedi, ladles, fire); the scale tips decisively toward the dust, while sages and devas witness in astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvamedha
• Brahmā
• Prayāga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s sanctity can exceed even the greatest Vedic sacrifices; contact with Prayāga itself is portrayed as supremely meritorious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga, even its ‘rajas’ (sacred dust) is extolled.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse elevates tīrtha-contact (even dust) as spiritually potent beyond yajña.