Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

इदं तीर्थं हरपापं सप्तजन्माघनाशनम् । गंगायां मिलितं पश्चाज्जन्मकोटिकृताघहम्

Transliteration

idaṃ tīrthaṃ harapāpaṃ saptajanmāghanāśanam | gaṃgāyāṃ militaṃ paścājjanmakoṭikṛtāghaham

Translation

Ce tīrtha, Harapāpa, détruit les péchés de sept existences ; puis, lorsqu’il se mêle à la Gaṅgā, il anéantit les fautes amassées durant dix millions de naissances.

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशक (demonstrative)

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage-place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• हरपापम्: sin-removing
• हरपापम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हर (√हृ धातु से 'हर' प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय: पापं हरति इति; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of तीर्थम्)

• सप्तजन्माघनाशनम्: destroyer of sins of seven births
• सप्तजन्माघनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या) + जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अघ (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (√नश् धातु से प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: सप्तजन्मानाम् अघस्य नाशनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of तीर्थम्)

• गङ्गायाम्: in the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गायाम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• मिलितम्: merged/combined
• मिलितम्: Karta (Predicate of subject/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मिल् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'joined/merged' (agreeing with तीर्थम्)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'afterwards')

• जन्मकोटिकृताघहम्: (that which removes) sins committed over crores of births
• जन्मकोटिकृताघहम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (√कृ धातु + क्त) + अघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: जन्मकोट्या कृतम् अघम् यस्य/यत् (intended: 'sins committed over crores of births'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of तीर्थम्/फलम् implied)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa default narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Harapāpa

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience (ṛṣis/pilgrims)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small sacred stream/tīrtha named Harapāpa flows into the Gaṅgā; pilgrims bathe at the confluence as dark ‘sin’ imagery dissolves into radiant water-light.

Characters & Entities

• Harapāpa Tīrtha
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-sevā (reverent approach to holy waters) purifies deep karmic burdens; Gaṅgā-union amplifies the cleansing power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Harapāpa tīrtha and its sacred connection/merging with the Gaṅgā in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied tīrtha-snāna and contact with the holy confluence/merging into Gaṅgā as the means of sin-destruction.