Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

याम्यां पादोदकाच्छ्वेतद्वीपतीर्थं महत्तरम् । तत्राहं ज्ञानदो नृणां ज्ञानकेशवसंज्ञकः

Transliteration

yāmyāṃ pādodakācchvetadvīpatīrthaṃ mahattaram | tatrāhaṃ jñānado nṛṇāṃ jñānakeśavasaṃjñakaḥ

Translation

Au sud se trouve le très exalté Śvetadvīpa-tīrtha, né de l’eau qui a lavé les pieds. Là, moi, nommé Jñānakeśava, je donne aux hommes la vraie connaissance.

Word by Word

• याम्याम्: in the southern (direction/quarter)
• याम्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; दिक्-विशेषणम् (southern)

• पादोदकात्: from the water of (his) feet
• पादोदकात्: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद-उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पादस्य उदकम्)

• श्वेतद्वीपतीर्थम्: the Śvetadvīpa pilgrimage-place
• श्वेतद्वीपतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत-द्वीप-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (श्वेतद्वीपस्य तीर्थम्)

• महत्तरम्: greater/very great
• महत्तरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्ययान्त (comparative)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ज्ञानदः: giver of knowledge
• ज्ञानदः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान-द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (ज्ञानं ददाति इति)

• नृणाम्: of men/people
• नृणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ज्ञानकेशवसंज्ञकः: named ‘Jñānakeśava’
• ज्ञानकेशवसंज्ञकः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान-केशव-संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (ज्ञानकेशव इति संज्ञा यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śvetadvīpa-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous southern tīrtha named Śvetadvīpa, its waters bright and milky-white; a small shrine of Jñānakeśava stands near the ford; pilgrims collect pādodaka in vessels; the air feels cool, clarifying, and contemplative.

Characters & Entities

• Śvetadvīpa-tīrtha
• Jñānakeśava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage in Kāśī is framed as a pathway to jñāna, with the deity explicitly granting spiritual insight to devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śvetadvīpa-tīrtha, described as a supremely great tīrtha in the southern quarter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, approaching that tīrtha and honoring Jñānakeśava there to receive jñāna.