Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

तद्दक्षिणे महापुण्यं कर्णादित्याख्यमुत्तमम् । तीर्थं यत्राप्लुतो मर्त्यो भास्करीं श्रियमावहेत्

Transliteration

taddakṣiṇe mahāpuṇyaṃ karṇādityākhyamuttamam | tīrthaṃ yatrāpluto martyo bhāskarīṃ śriyamāvahet

Translation

Au sud de celui-ci se trouve le tīrtha, suprêmement excellent et hautement méritoire, nommé Karṇāditya. Le mortel qui s’y baigne attire à lui l’éclat solaire et la prospérité.

Word by Word

• tat: there/at that (place)
• tat: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; अत्र 'तस्मिन्' अर्थे = Neuter Locative singular (in that place)

• dakṣiṇe: on the south (side)
• dakṣiṇe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन = Neuter, Locative singular; दिशि (in the southern side)

• mahāpuṇyam: highly meritorious
• mahāpuṇyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (tīrtham इति) = Neuter Accusative singular adjective; समासः: महत् च तत् पुण्यम् (very meritorious)

• karṇādityākhyam: called Karṇāditya
• karṇādityākhyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karṇa + āditya + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (tīrtham इति) = Neuter Accusative singular; समासः: कर्णादित्य इति आख्यम् (named ‘Karṇāditya’)

• uttamam: excellent/supreme
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (tīrtham इति) = Neuter Accusative singular adjective

• tīrtham: sacred ford
• tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन = Neuter, Accusative singular

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक) = Indeclinable relative adverb of place (where)

• āplutaḥ: having bathed/immersed
• āplutaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āpluta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक); ā-√plu (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्तः = Past passive participle used adjectivally; विशेषणम् (martyaḥ)

• martyaḥ: a mortal man
• martyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन = Masculine, Nominative singular

• bhāskarīm: solar, of the Sun
• bhāskarīm: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāskarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (śriyam) = Feminine Accusative singular adjective

• śriyam: prosperity, fortune
• śriyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन = Feminine, Accusative singular

• āvahet: would obtain/bring (to oneself)
• āvahet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√vah (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन = Optative 3rd sg; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Karṇāditya Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bright, sun-washed tīrtha to the south; a pilgrim offers water to the rising Sun, golden rays touching the water surface; prosperity symbols (lotus, kalasha) subtly appear.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Karṇāditya Tīrtha
• Sūrya (Bhāskara)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrthas link cosmic powers to lived dharma—here, bathing aligns the pilgrim with the Sun’s auspicious radiance and fortune.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Karṇāditya Tīrtha, situated south of the previously mentioned tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Āplava/āpluta—bathing or immersion at Karṇāditya Tīrtha.