Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 120

Devanagari script

तत्राभ्याशे स्कंदतीर्थं तत्राप्लुत्य नरोत्तमः । दृष्ट्वा षडाननं चैव जह्यात्षाट्कौशिकीं तनुम्

Transliteration

tatrābhyāśe skaṃdatīrthaṃ tatrāplutya narottamaḥ | dṛṣṭvā ṣaḍānanaṃ caiva jahyātṣāṭkauśikīṃ tanum

Translation

Tout près se trouve le saint Skanda-tīrtha. S’y étant baigné, le meilleur des hommes—en contemplant Ṣaḍānana, Skanda aux six visages—rejette le corps façonné par la gaine sextuple de Kuśikā, la limitation en six formes.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• अभ्याशे: nearby, in the vicinity
• अभ्याशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्याश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्कन्दतीर्थम्: Skanda’s sacred ford
• स्कन्दतीर्थम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समास: स्कन्दस्य तीर्थम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• आप्लुत्य: having bathed
• आप्लुत्य: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्लु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); उपसर्ग: आ-; धातु: प्लु (1/भ्वादि), अर्थे: प्लवने/स्नाने

• नरउत्तमः: the best of men
• नरउत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समास: उत्तमो नरः (कर्मधारय)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); धातु: दृश् (1/भ्वादि), अर्थे: दर्शने

• षडाननम्: the six-faced one (Skanda)
• षडाननम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समास: षड् आननानि यस्य सः (द्विगु-समास; ‘six-faced’, Skanda)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• जह्यात्: should abandon
• जह्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातु: हा (3/जुहोत्यादि), अर्थे: त्यागे

• षाट्कौशिकीम्: the Ṣāṭ-Kauśikī (named)
• षाट्कौशिकीम्: Karman (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षाट् + कौशिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समास: षाट्-सम्बन्धिनी कौशिकी (तत्पुरुष; ‘connected with Ṣāṭ/Śāṭ’)

• तनुम्: body
• तनुम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Skanda-tīrtha

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a small tīrtha pool near Kāśī ghāṭas, a pilgrim emerges from the bath; ahead stands Ṣaḍānana Skanda with six radiant faces, spear (śakti), and peacock emblem; translucent layers peel away from the pilgrim’s form.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Ṣaḍānana
• Skanda-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage actions—bathing at a tīrtha and divine darśana—purify the seeker and help transcend limiting identities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Skanda-tīrtha located in the vicinity within Kāśī’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna (ritual bathing) at Skanda-tīrtha and take darśana of Ṣaḍānana (Skanda).