Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

तस्यां वाप्यां नरः स्नात्वा कर्कोटेशं समर्च्य च । कर्कोटनागमाराध्य नागलोके महीयते

Transliteration

tasyāṃ vāpyāṃ naraḥ snātvā karkoṭeśaṃ samarcya ca | karkoṭanāgamārādhya nāgaloke mahīyate

Translation

Après s’être baigné dans cet étang et avoir vénéré comme il se doit Karkoṭeśa, puis apaisé le Nāga Karkoṭa, on est honoré dans le royaume des Nāgas.

Word by Word

• तस्याम्: in that
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वाप्याम्: in the tank
• वाप्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• कर्कोटेशम्: Karkoṭeśa
• कर्कोटेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्कोट + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• समर्च्य: having duly worshipped
• समर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √अर्च् (धातु) + य (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• कर्कोटनागम्: the serpent Karkoṭa
• कर्कोटनागम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्कोट + नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• आराध्य: having propitiated
• आराध्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √राध् (धातु) + य (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• नागलोके: in the world of Nāgas
• नागलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• महीयते: is honored/glorified
• महीयते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (passive sense: is honored)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Karkoṭa-vāpī

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee bathes in a stone-lined vāpī, then offers bilva and water to a liṅga; nearby, a Nāga guardian is honored—depicted as a hooded serpent icon or semi-divine figure—while a luminous gateway hints at Nāga-loka.

Characters & Entities

• Karkoṭa-vāpī
• Karkoṭeśa/Karkoṭakeśvara
• Karkoṭa (Nāga)
• Nāga-loka
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent engagement with Kāśī’s tīrthas—snāna plus worship—connects the devotee to higher, subtle realms and their guardians.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Karkoṭa-vāpī and the worship of Karkoṭeśa/Karkoṭakeśvara in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing in the pond, worship of the liṅga (Karkoṭeśa), and propitiation of the Nāga Karkoṭa.