Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

धर्मेशात्पश्चिमे भागे विश्वेश्वरांतरेपि वा । धर्मवापीति विख्याता स्वर्गसोपानदायिनी

Transliteration

dharmeśātpaścime bhāge viśveśvarāṃtarepi vā | dharmavāpīti vikhyātā svargasopānadāyinī

Translation

ധർമേശന്റെ പടിഞ്ഞാറ് ഭാഗത്തോ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ വിശ്വേശ്വരന്റെ പ്രാകാരത്തിനകത്തോ, ‘ധർമവാപി’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധമായ ഒരു പുണ്യവാപി ഉണ്ട്; അത് സ്വർഗ്ഗാരോഹണത്തിന് സോപാനം നൽകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• धर्मेशात्: from Dharmesha (Lord of Dharma)
• धर्मेशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मेश (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य ईशः)

• पश्चिमे: in the western
• पश्चिमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (भागे)

• भागे: part/region
• भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• विश्वेश्वर-अन्तरे: in the vicinity/inside of Viśveśvara
• विश्वेश्वर-अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वेश्वरस्य अन्तरम्)

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

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• धर्मवापी: the Dharma-well/pond
• धर्मवापी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य वापी)

• इति: thus (called)
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-निपात (quotative particle)

• विख्याता: well-known
• विख्याता: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ख्या (धातु) → विख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त/PPP)

• स्वर्गसोपानदायिनी: giver of a stairway to heaven
• स्वर्गसोपानदायिनी: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + सोपान (प्रातिपदिक) + दायिनी (प्रातिपदिक; √दा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (स्वर्गस्य सोपानं ददाति इति)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa continuing the account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmavāpī

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred well/pool (vāpī) nestled in the dense lanes of Kāśī, with a small shrine-marker; pilgrims approach from the west of Dharmeśa toward Viśveśvara precincts, carrying lotas; the water is depicted as luminous, symbolizing a ‘stairway to heaven’.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmeśa
• Viśveśvara
• Dharmavāpī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography matters in Purāṇic dharma: approaching a consecrated tīrtha with faith becomes a direct means to upliftment and higher worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmavāpī, located west of Dharmeśa or within the precincts of Viśveśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated here; the verse primarily identifies the location and its heaven-leading merit.