Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अर्वाक्च शंखतीर्थाद्वै चक्रतीर्थमनुत्तमम् । संसारचक्रे न पतेत्तत्तीर्थजलमज्जनात्

Transliteration

arvākca śaṃkhatīrthādvai cakratīrthamanuttamam | saṃsāracakre na patettattīrthajalamajjanāt

Translation

Tout près de Śaṅkha-tīrtha se trouve l’incomparable Cakra-tīrtha. En s’immergeant dans les eaux de ce gué sacré, on ne retombe plus dans la roue tournoyante de l’existence mondaine.

Word by Word

• अर्वाक्: below; on the nearer side
• अर्वाक्: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अर्वाक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक-अव्यय (directional adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• शंखतीर्थात्: from Śaṅkha-tīrtha
• शंखतीर्थात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंखतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शंखस्य तीर्थम्)

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

• चक्रतीर्थम्: Cakra-tīrtha
• चक्रतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (चक्रस्य तीर्थम्)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed; excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (चक्रतीर्थम्)

• संसारचक्रे: in the wheel of transmigration
• संसारचक्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसारचक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (संसारस्य चक्रम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• पतेत्: would fall
• पतेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (Optative/benedictive sense), परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातुः पत् (to fall)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; (तीर्थजलमज्जनात् इत्यस्य सम्बन्धे)

• तीर्थजलमज्जनात्: from bathing in the tīrtha-water
• तीर्थजलमज्जनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + जल + मज्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (तीर्थस्य जलम्; तस्मिन् मज्जनम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakra-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim approaches a calm sacred ford marked by a radiant discus emblem; nearby sign of Śaṅkha-tīrtha; the water reflects a wheel-like halo suggesting the ‘samsāra-cakra’ being stilled.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkha-tīrtha
• Cakra-tīrtha
• Kāśī (Varanasi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s tīrthas are portrayed as direct aids to liberation; sincere immersion symbolizes release from the cyclic bondage of saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cakra-tīrtha, located near (on the nearer side of) Śaṅkha-tīrtha in the sacred landscape of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Majjana/snānā—immersive bathing in the waters of the tīrtha.