Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

दिलीपतीर्थं सुश्रेष्ठं सद्यः पापहरं परम् । ततः सगरतीर्थं च सगरेश समीपतः

Transliteration

dilīpatīrthaṃ suśreṣṭhaṃ sadyaḥ pāpaharaṃ param | tataḥ sagaratīrthaṃ ca sagareśa samīpataḥ

Translation

Le Dilīpa Tīrtha est des plus excellents : suprême et qui détruit aussitôt le péché. Ensuite vient le Sagara Tīrtha, situé près de Sagareśa.

Word by Word

• दिलीपतीर्थम्: Dilīpa-tīrtha
• दिलीपतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिलीप-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — “Dilīpa-tīrtha”; समासः तत्पुरुष (नाम-समास)

• सुश्रेष्ठम्: most excellent
• सुश्रेष्ठम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्) “very excellent” (सु- उपसर्ग/उपपद)

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक adverb) — “immediately”

• पापहरम्: sin-removing
• पापहरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्) “sin-removing”; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुष (पापं हरति)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्) “supreme”

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Apadana/Sequence (Ablatival adverb/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपादान/क्रमवाचक) — “then/from there”

• सगरतीर्थम्: Sagara-tīrtha
• सगरतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सगर-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — “Sagara-tīrtha”; समासः तत्पुरुष (नाम-समास)

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

• सगरेश: of Sagareśa
• सगरेश: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सगर-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — “of Sagareśa”; समासः तत्पुरुष (सगरस्य ईशः)

• समीपतः: near
• समीपतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त) — “near/by” (from vicinity)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dilīpa Tīrtha; Sagara Tīrtha (near Sagareśa)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A clean, bright water-spot labeled Dilīpa Tīrtha where pilgrims bathe; then a short walk to another water-site (Sagara Tīrtha) adjacent to a Śiva-liṅga temple (Sagareśa) with bilva leaves and lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Dilīpa Tīrtha
• Sagara Tīrtha
• Sagareśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s tīrthas are praised as swift purifiers, linking sacred bathing to ethical-spiritual renewal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dilīpa Tīrtha (as foremost), followed by Sagara Tīrtha near Sagareśa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit snāna/visitation of the tīrthas, emphasized by the claim of immediate pāpa-kṣaya (sin removal).