Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

अतो ज्ञानोद नामैतत्तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् । अस्य दर्शनमात्रेण सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

ato jñānoda nāmaitattīrthaṃ trailokyaviśrutam | asya darśanamātreṇa sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ഈ തീർത്ഥം ‘ജ്ഞാനോദ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ ത്രിലോകപ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്. ഇതിന്റെ ദർശനമാത്രം കൊണ്ടുതന്നെ സർവപാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു മോചനം ലഭിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• atas: therefore, hence
• atas: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (causal/consequential adverb): ‘therefore/from this’

• jñānoda: Jñānoda (name of the tīrtha)
• jñānoda: Samjna (Name/संज्ञा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (ज्ञान-प्रातिपदिक) + uda (उद-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (jñānasya udaḥ/udayaḥ—name-form); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (नाम)

• nāma: named, called
• nāma: Samjna (Naming marker/संज्ञा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (नामन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable: ‘named/called’)

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tīrtham: tīrtha, sacred place
• tīrtham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (तीर्थ-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• trailokya-viśrutam: renowned in the three worlds
• trailokya-viśrutam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: trailokya (त्रैलोक्य-प्रातिपदिक) + viśruta (विश्रुत-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (trailokye viśrutam); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of tīrtham)

• asya: of this
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• darśana-mātreṇa: by mere seeing
• darśana-mātreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (दर्शन-प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (मात्र-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (darśanasya mātram); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• sarva-pāpaiḥ: from all sins
• sarva-pāpaiḥ: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (पाप-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (‘all sins’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• pramucyate: is freed, is released
• pramucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + muc (मुच्-धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Viśveśvara/Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñānoda

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśāna

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A revealed name: ‘Jñānoda’ appears as a luminous inscription over a radiant pool/ford; pilgrims and sages behold it, and dark smoke-like ‘sins’ dissolve into light, symbolizing pāpa-release by mere sight.

Characters & Entities

• Jñānoda
• Viśveśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with a truly sanctified place—here, even simple darśana—can catalyze purification and moral-spiritual renewal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñānoda tīrtha (also described as Śiva-tīrtha) in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (beholding the tīrtha) is presented as a sufficient act to obtain liberation from sins; pilgrimage visitation is implied.