Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

तदुत्तरे भद्रह्रदो गवां क्षीरेण पूरितः । कपिलानां सहस्रेण सम्यग्दत्तने यत्फलम्

Transliteration

taduttare bhadrahrado gavāṃ kṣīreṇa pūritaḥ | kapilānāṃ sahasreṇa samyagdattane yatphalam

Translation

Au nord se trouve l’heureux lac Bhadrahrada, rempli de lait de vache. Quel que soit le mérite né du don accompli comme il se doit de mille vaches fauves (kapila)—

Word by Word

• तत्: there/in that (place)
• तत्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘तस्मिन्’ अर्थे

• उत्तरे: to the north/further north
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘उत्तर-भागे’

• भद्रह्रदः: Bhadra-pond (Bhadrahrada)
• भद्रह्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhadra + hrada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘भद्रः ह्रदः’ (नाम)

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• क्षीरेण: with milk
• क्षीरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• पूरितः: filled
• पूरितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrita (प्रातिपदिक; √pṝ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), कर्मणि ‘पूरितः’

• कपिलानाम्: of tawny cows
• कपिलानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapilā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• सहस्रेण: with a thousand (as measure)
• सहस्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• दत्तने: in the act of giving (donation)
• दत्तने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dattana (प्रातिपदिक; √dā (धातु) से दानार्थक भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘दाने’ अर्थे (locative of act)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Correlative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक ‘यत् … तत्’

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhadrahrada

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene sacred lake within Kāśī, its waters depicted as white like milk, with gentle ripples; symbolic kapilā cows appear on the bank. Pilgrims approach with folded hands, preparing for snāna; the northern direction is indicated by a subtle compass motif or temple alignment.

Characters & Entities

• Bhadrahrada
• Gaṅgā-zone (context)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s tīrthas are described as reservoirs of extraordinary merit, equated with major acts of charity like large-scale cow-gifts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhadrahrada, a sacred lake/tīrtha situated north of the previously mentioned shrines in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse sets up a merit-equivalence with kapilā-go-dāna (gifting tawny cows), preparing for the next verse’s instruction about bathing.