Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

यत्फलं तीर्थराजस्य स्नानेन परिकीर्त्यते । सहस्रगुणितं तत्स्याद्धर्मांधु स्नानमात्रतः

Transliteration

yatphalaṃ tīrtharājasya snānena parikīrtyate | sahasraguṇitaṃ tatsyāddharmāṃdhu snānamātrataḥ

Translation

Quel que soit le mérite proclamé pour le bain au Roi des Tīrthas, ce même mérite devient mille fois plus grand par le seul bain à Dharmāṃdhu.

Word by Word

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Correlative/यद्-तद्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom./acc. sg.)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom./acc. sg.)

• तीर्थराजस्य: of the king of tīrthas
• तीर्थराजस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (masc. gen. sg.); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तीर्थाणां राजा)

• स्नानेन: by bathing
• स्नानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (neuter instr. sg.)

• परिकीर्त्यते: is proclaimed
• परिकीर्त्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (present, 3rd sg.)

• सहस्रगुणितम्: multiplied a thousandfold
• सहस्रगुणितम्: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र + गुणित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष (सहस्रेण गुणितम् = multiplied by a thousand); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (optative, 3rd sg.)

• धर्मांधु: at Dharmāndhu
• धर्मांधु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (masc. loc. sg.)—स्थानवाचक/विषयवाचक (in/at Dharmāndhu); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• स्नानमात्रतः: merely by (the act of) bathing
• स्नानमात्रतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्नान + मात्र + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: “merely from bathing”); समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्नानस्य मात्रम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāṃdhu

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of the Kāśī-māhātmya discourse (not specified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: on one side the celebrated Tīrtha-rāja (often envisioned as Prayāga saṅgama) with two rivers meeting; on the other side Dharmāṃdhu at Kāśī glowing brighter, with a thousand tiny rays/lotuses emanating to signify sahasraguṇa merit; pilgrims bathe with uplifted hands.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāṃdhu (tīrtha)
• Tīrtharāja (King of Tīrthas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In the Purāṇic vision, certain sacred places concentrate spiritual potency; Dharmāṃdhu is praised as extraordinarily merit-giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāṃdhu tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Dharmāṃdhu is presented as the key act.