Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

वशिष्ठं पुरतः कृत्वा सर्वसार्थसमायुतम् । हरपापह्रदे तीर्थे स्थितोहं तद्नुग्रहात्

Transliteration

vaśiṣṭhaṃ purataḥ kṛtvā sarvasārthasamāyutam | harapāpahrade tīrthe sthitohaṃ tadnugrahāt

Translation

Plaçant Vasiṣṭha à l’avant, accompagné de toute la caravane des disciples, par sa grâce je pris demeure au tīrtha nommé Harapāpa-hrada.

Word by Word

• वशिष्ठम्: Vasiṣṭha
• वशिष्ठम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वशिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुरतः: in front
• पुरतः: Desha-adhikarana (देश-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (in front)

• कृत्वा: having made / placing
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• सर्वसार्थसमायुतम्: accompanied by the entire caravan/retinue
• सर्वसार्थसमायुतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + सार्थ + सम् + युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (समायुत = joined/attended); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (वशिष्ठम्)

• हरपापह्रदे: at Harapāpahrada (the lake named so)
• हरपापह्रदे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर + पाप + ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्थितः: stood / remained
• स्थितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• तदनुग्रहात्: due to his/that grace
• तदनुग्रहात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + अनुग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa default narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Harapāpa-hrada

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A caravan arrives at a serene lake/pond; Vasiṣṭha leads at the front; the deity stands established at the tīrtha; the water glows with purificatory power, suggesting pāpa-haraṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Harapāpa-hrada Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes spiritually accessible through guru-like guidance and anugraha (grace), not merely through travel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Harapāpa-hrada tīrtha (the ‘Sin-destroying Lake of Hara’) within Kāśī’s sacred domain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated here; the verse establishes the sanctity and authoritative lineage (Vasiṣṭha’s lead) connected to the tīrtha.