Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

तत ऐक्ष्वाकवं तीर्थं सर्वाघौघविनाशनम् । तत्र स्नानेन पूतात्मा जायते मनुजोत्तमः

Transliteration

tata aikṣvākavaṃ tīrthaṃ sarvāghaughavināśanam | tatra snānena pūtātmā jāyate manujottamaḥ

Translation

इसके बाद समस्त पापों के समूह का नाश करने वाला ऐक्ष्वाकव तीर्थ है। वहाँ स्नान करने से मनुष्य पवित्र आत्मा होकर नरोत्तम बन जाता है।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध-क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): 'then/thereafter'

• aikṣvākavam: belonging to the Ikṣvāku lineage
• aikṣvākavam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aikṣvākava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थम्)

• tīrtham: tīrtha (sacred ford)
• tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• sarva-agha-ogha-vināśanam: destroyer of all floods of sin
• sarva-agha-ogha-vināśanam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + agha (प्रातिपदिक) + ogha (प्रातिपदिक) + vināśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थम्); तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वेषां अघानां ओघस्य विनाशनम्)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place): 'there'

• snānena: by bathing
• snānena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• pūta-ātmā: one whose self is purified
• pūta-ātmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √pū 'to purify') + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (पूतः आत्मा यस्य)

• jāyate: is born/becomes
• jāyate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• manuja-uttamaḥ: an excellent man
• manuja-uttamaḥ: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manuja (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (उत्तमो मनुजः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aikṣvāka-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience/interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn, pilgrims bathe at Aikṣvāka-tīrtha; dark ink-like ‘sin’ motifs dissolve into the water as the bather’s aura becomes clear and bright; a subtle emblem of the solar dynasty (sun-disc/royal banner) appears above.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Aikṣvāka-tīrtha
• Ikṣvāku lineage (Aikṣvāka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s tīrthas are portrayed as purifiers: sincere bathing is said to cleanse deep accumulations of sin and refine one’s character.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aikṣvāka-tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at Aikṣvāka-tīrtha for purification.