Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

संसारचक्रे गहने यत्र स्नातो विशेन्नना । चक्रपुष्करिणी तीर्थ ममाधिष्ठानमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

saṃsāracakre gahane yatra snāto viśennanā | cakrapuṣkariṇī tīrtha mamādhiṣṭhānamuttamam

Translation

ಸಂಸಾರಚಕ್ರದ ಘನ ಹಾಗೂ ದುರ್ಗಮ ಮಾರ್ಗದಲ್ಲಿ, ಯಾರು ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ನಾನಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೋ ಅವರು ನಿಶ್ಚಯವಾಗಿ (ಉದ್ಧಾರಮಾರ್ಗಕ್ಕೆ) ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ‘ಚಕ್ರಪುಷ್ಕರಿಣೀ’ ತೀರ್ಥವೇ ನನ್ನ ಪರಮ ಅಧಿಷ್ಠಾನ.

Word by Word

• संसारचक्रे: in the wheel of saṃsāra
• संसारचक्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (संसारस्य चक्रे)

• गहने: deep, hard to cross
• गहने: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (चक्रे)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नात (स्ना-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (having bathed)

• विशेत्: should enter
• विशेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + विश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: वि

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अना: (unclear reading)
• अना: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अना (अव्यय/पाठभेद)
• Form: अव्यय; पाठदोष/अस्पष्ट-रूपम् (possibly ‘अन्यथा/पुनः’ इत्यर्थे)

• चक्रपुष्करिणी: Cakrapuṣkariṇī
• चक्रपुष्करिणी: Sambodhana/Topic (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र + पुष्करिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तीर्थ: tīrtha, sacred ford
• तीर्थ: Sambodhana/Topic (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे/वाक्यविषयः

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• अधिष्ठानम्: abode, seat
• अधिष्ठानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिष्ठान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (अधिष्ठानम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakrapuṣkariṇī

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic depiction of saṃsāra as a dark, thorny wheel around the world; at its center, the bright waters of Cakrapuṣkariṇī form a luminous gateway. Skanda’s presence is suggested as a radiant guardian of the tīrtha-seat.

Characters & Entities

• Cakrapuṣkariṇī
• Saṃsāra (cycle of existence)
• Kāśī (Varanasi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A Kāśī tīrtha is presented as a direct support for transcending saṃsāra, with snāna as the gateway act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cakrapuṣkariṇī Tīrtha, praised as a ‘supreme seat’ (uttama adhiṣṭhāna).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing (snāna) at Cakrapuṣkariṇī is highlighted as the key practice.