Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

कीदृशं दर्शनं तस्याः फलं स्पर्शेऽथवा विभो । स्नाने जाप्येऽथवा दान उपवासे तथा मुने

Transliteration

kīdṛśaṃ darśanaṃ tasyāḥ phalaṃ sparśe'thavā vibho | snāne jāpye'thavā dāna upavāse tathā mune

Translation

Wahai Yang Mahakuasa, apakah hakikat pahala dari sekadar memandangnya, atau dari menyentuhnya? Dan wahai resi, buah apa yang timbul dari mandi suci, dari japa, dari sedekah, dan juga dari berpuasa?

Word by Word

• कीदृशम्: of what kind?
• कीदृशम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (interrogative adjective)

• दर्शनम्: seeing; दर्शन
• दर्शनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• तस्याः: of her/that (f.)
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• स्पर्शे: in (the act of) touching
• स्पर्शे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• अथवा: or
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• विभो: O Lord; O mighty one
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• स्नाने: in bathing
• स्नाने: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• जाप्ये: in japa/recitation
• जाप्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; जपनीयकर्म (act of japa)

• अथवा: or
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• दान: in giving; charity
• दान: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th) एकवचन (पाठानुसारं; दाने इत्यर्थे)

• उपवासे: in fasting
• उपवासे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• तथा: and likewise; also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/also')

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāverī (implied; fruits to be detailed in subsequent verses)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of sages (frame); within episode: Mārkaṇḍeya is being addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted questioner stands on a riverbank with folded hands, asking a sage about the fruits of seeing, touching, bathing, japa, charity, and fasting connected to the sacred river.

Characters & Entities

• Kāverī
• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rivers sanctify through multiple modes—sight, touch, bath, mantra, charity, and austerity—each carrying graded spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāverī as a tīrtha, with emphasis on her ritual interface: darśana, sparśa, and snāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse lists core tīrtha-rites to be evaluated: darśana, sparśa, snāna, japa, dāna, and upavāsa.