Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

ईशानतीर्थे यः स्नात्वा विशेषात्सोमवासरे । संतर्प्य देवर्षि पितॄन्दत्त्वा दानम स्वशक्तितः

Transliteration

īśānatīrthe yaḥ snātvā viśeṣātsomavāsare | saṃtarpya devarṣi pitṝndattvā dānama svaśaktitaḥ

Translation

ഈശാനതീർത്ഥത്തിൽ—വിശേഷിച്ച് തിങ്കളാഴ്ച—സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ദേവന്മാരെയും ഋഷിമാരെയും പിതൃകളെയും സന്തർപ്പിച്ച്, സ്വശക്തിയനുസരിച്ച് ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ,

Word by Word

• ईशानतीर्थे: at Īśāna-tīrtha
• ईशानतीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ईशानस्य तीर्थम्)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त, पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having bathed)

• विशेषात्: especially
• विशेषात्: Avyaya (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/तसिल्-अर्थे अव्ययवत्; पञ्चमी-आकारेण ‘especially’ (विशेषेण)

• सोमवासरे: on Monday
• सोमवासरे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक) + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सोमस्य वासरः)

• संतर्प्य: having satisfied
• संतर्प्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √तृप् (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having satisfied/propitiated)

• देवर्षीन्: divine sages
• देवर्षीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (देवाः ऋषयः)

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (पितृ-शब्द)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त, पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having given)

• दानम्: a gift/charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक; √दा धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वशक्तितः: according to (his) ability
• स्वशक्तितः: Avyaya (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘according to one’s capacity’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Īśāna Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Īśāna Tīrtha on a Monday, a pilgrim bathes, then offers water-libations to devas, sages, and ancestors; nearby, gifts are distributed to supplicants and priests.

Characters & Entities

• Īśāna Tīrtha
• Somavāra (Monday)
• Devas
• Ṛṣis
• Pitṛs
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred bathing joined with gratitude toward devas, sages, and ancestors, plus capacity-based charity, forms a complete Purāṇic dharma-practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Īśāna Tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Somavāra snāna at Īśāna Tīrtha, tarpaṇa to deva-ṛṣi-pitṛ groups, and dāna according to one’s means.