Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

यत्र वै स्नानमात्रेण गजदानफलं लभेत् । कोकावराहतीर्थं च पुण्यदं गजतीर्थतः

Transliteration

yatra vai snānamātreṇa gajadānaphalaṃ labhet | kokāvarāhatīrthaṃ ca puṇyadaṃ gajatīrthataḥ

Translation

Ce gué sacré où, par le seul bain, on obtient le fruit du don d’un éléphant, c’est le Kokāvarāha Tīrtha, dispensateur d’un grand mérite, surpassant même le renommé Gaja-tīrtha.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक अव्यय) — locative adverb “where”

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle) — emphasis/indeed

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान-मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — instrumental “by mere bathing”; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्रायः (मात्रं स्नानस्य)

• गजदानफलम्: the merit-fruit of gifting an elephant
• गजदानफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज-दान-फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — “the fruit of elephant-gift”; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दानस्य फलम्; गजदानस्य फलम्)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — “would obtain”

• कोकावराहतीर्थम्: Kokāvarāha sacred ford
• कोकावराहतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोका-वराह-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — “Kokāvarāha-tīrtha”; समासः तत्पुरुष (नाम-समास)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक conjunction)

• पुण्यदम्: merit-giving
• पुण्यदम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य-द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — विशेषणम् (तीर्थम् implied) “merit-giving”; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुष (पुण्यं ददाति)

• गजतीर्थतः: from/than Gaja-tīrtha
• गजतीर्थतः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — ablative “from/than Gaja-tīrtha”; समासः तत्पुरुष (नाम-समास)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kokāvarāha Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a small sacred ford/pond in Kāśī, bathing with folded hands; nearby a shrine iconography of Varāha (boar) associated with ‘Kokāvarāha’; priests and lamps; the idea of ‘elephant-gift merit’ suggested by a ceremonial elephant motif in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Kokāvarāha Tīrtha
• Gaja Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, sincere bathing at a praised tīrtha can yield immense merit, equaling even great acts of charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kokāvarāha Tīrtha, said to grant merit exceeding Gaja-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing), whose fruit is compared to gaja-dāna (donation of an elephant).