Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

क्षोणीवराहतीर्थं च ततोपि शुभदं परम् । तत्र स्नातो नरो जातु तिर्यग्योनिं न गच्छति

Transliteration

kṣoṇīvarāhatīrthaṃ ca tatopi śubhadaṃ param | tatra snāto naro jātu tiryagyoniṃ na gacchati

Translation

Dan Tīrtha Kṣoṇīvarāha lebih luhur lagi, amat membawa berkah; orang yang mandi suci di sana tidak akan pernah jatuh ke kelahiran sebagai binatang (tiryag-yoni).

Word by Word

• क्षोणीवराहतीर्थम्: Kṣoṇīvarāha-tīrtha
• क्षोणीवराहतीर्थम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षोणी-वराह-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; क्षोणी + वराह + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (क्षोण्याः वराहः/वराहसम्बन्धि तीर्थम्)

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

• ततः: than that
• ततः: Apadana/Comparison base (अपादान/तुलना)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; पञ्चमी-अर्थे (‘than that’)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• शुभदम्: auspicious-giving
• शुभदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभद (प्रातिपदिक; शुभ + द)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘शुभं ददाति’ = auspicious-giving)

• परम्: supreme, higher
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘supreme/greater’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (कर्ता; ‘one who has bathed’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्ना (स्नाने) (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जातु: ever, at any time
• जातु: Kala (काल/Time adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जातु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक निपात (ever/at any time)

• तिर्यग्योनिम्: an animal birth
• तिर्यग्योनिम्: Gati/Karma (कर्म; destination as object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यक्-योनि (प्रातिपदिक; तिर्यक् + योनि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘तिर्यक् एव योनि’ = animal womb/state)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• गच्छति: goes, reaches
• गच्छति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (गत्यर्थे) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present Indicative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣoṇīvarāha Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small tīrtha pool/ghat with a Varāha emblem or shrine; the devotee bathes while a protective aura surrounds them; in the background, symbolic silhouettes of animals fade away, indicating ‘no tiryag-yoni’.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣoṇīvarāha Tīrtha
• Varāha (implied)
• Tiryagyoni (lower birth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy bathing is described as transforming destiny—protecting the pilgrim from lower rebirth and orienting life toward higher dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kṣoṇīvarāha Tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at Kṣoṇīvarāha Tīrtha, with the stated result of avoiding tiryagyoni (lower births).