Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

तार्क्ष्यवीक्षणमात्रेण फणिनौ निर्विषा यथा । निष्प्रभाणि तथेनांसि भागीरथ्यवलोकनात्

Transliteration

tārkṣyavīkṣaṇamātreṇa phaṇinau nirviṣā yathā | niṣprabhāṇi tathenāṃsi bhāgīrathyavalokanāt

Translation

जैसे गरुड़ के केवल दर्शन से सर्प विषहीन हो जाते हैं, वैसे ही भागीरथी के दर्शन मात्र से पाप निष्प्रभ और निर्बल हो जाते हैं।

Word by Word

• तार्क्ष्यवीक्षणमात्रेण: by the mere sight of Garuḍa
• तार्क्ष्यवीक्षणमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वीक्षण (विक्ष् धातु, ल्युट्) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तार्क्ष्य-वीक्षण (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘of Garuḍa’s seeing’) + मात्र (अवधारणार्थ: ‘mere’)

• फणिनौ: the two serpents
• फणिनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन (Dual)

• निर्विषाः: become venomless
• निर्विषाः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्- + विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन (Dual) (पदपाठे ‘निर्विषौ’ अपेक्षितम्; छन्दो/पाठभेदेन ‘निर्विषाः’); विशेषणम्

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (comparative: ‘as’)

• निष्प्रभाणि: lusterless
• निष्प्रभाणि: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निस्- + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम्

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner: ‘so/likewise’)

• एनांसि: sins
• एनांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भागीरथ्यवलोकनात्: from (by) beholding Bhāgīrathī (Ganga)
• भागीरथ्यवलोकनात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भागीरथी (प्रातिपदिक) + अवलोकन (अव-लोक् धातु, ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—भागीरथी-अवलोकन (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘viewing of Bhāgīrathī’)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhāgīrathī/Gaṅgā (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-scene metaphor: Garuḍa’s fierce glance renders cobras harmless; parallel scene shows a pilgrim merely beholding the Gaṅgā, while dark ‘sin’ shadows fade and lose sheen.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā)
• Tārkṣya (Garuḍa)
• Serpents (phaṇin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana (sacred sight) of Gaṅgā itself is purificatory; sin is weakened simply by beholding her.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhāgīrathī/Gaṅgā—especially as seen in the sacred landscape of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (seeing) of Gaṅgā is implicitly recommended as a purifying act.