Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा पिलिपिला तीर्थे सुमुखेशं विलोक्य च । सदैव सुमुखं पश्येद्धर्मराजं न दुर्मुखम्

Transliteration

snātvā pilipilā tīrthe sumukheśaṃ vilokya ca | sadaiva sumukhaṃ paśyeddharmarājaṃ na durmukham

Translation

Après s’être baigné au Tīrtha de Pilipilā et avoir contemplé Sumukheśa, on voit toujours Dharmarāja au visage gracieux, jamais au visage dur.

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having bathed)

• पिलिपिला: (at) Pilipilā
• पिलिपिला: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिलिपिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (अधिकार्य-स्थाननिर्देशः; तीर्थे इति सह)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• सुमुखेशम्: Sumukheśa
• सुमुखेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुमुख-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• विलोक्य: having beheld
• विलोक्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having looked at)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• सुमुखम्: kind-faced, auspicious-faced
• सुमुखम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying धर्मराजम्)

• पश्येत्: should see
• पश्येत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धर्मराजम्: Dharmarāja (Yama)
• धर्मराजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

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

• दुर्मुखम्: fierce-faced, ill-faced
• दुर्मुखम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्-मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (धर्मराजम्—न दुर्मुखम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pilipilā Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim bathes at the quiet Pilipilā tīrtha, then approaches Sumukheśa; in a visionary overlay, Dharmarāja appears with a gentle face, holding a ledger but radiating compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Pilipilā Tīrtha
• Sumukheśa
• Dharmarāja (Yama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage practices in Kāśī transform one’s karmic encounter with judgment: purification and Śiva-darśana yield a merciful destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pilipilā Tīrtha in Kāśī, together with the shrine of Sumukheśa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at Pilipilā Tīrtha and darśana (vilokana) of Sumukheśa.