Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

योष्टमूर्तिर्महादेवः पुराणे परिपठ्यते । तस्यैषांबुमयी मूर्तिर्ज्ञानदा ज्ञानवापिका

Transliteration

yoṣṭamūrtirmahādevaḥ purāṇe paripaṭhyate | tasyaiṣāṃbumayī mūrtirjñānadā jñānavāpikā

Translation

പുരാണങ്ങളിൽ മഹാദേവനെ യോഷിത്-മൂർത്തിയായി പാരായണം ചെയ്യുന്നു; ഈ ജ്ഞാനവാപിക അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ജലമയ രൂപം, ജ്ഞാനം നൽകുന്നതാണ്।

Word by Word

• योष्टमूर्तिः: the female form
• योष्टमूर्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योष्ट्/योषित् + मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (योष्टः/योषितः मूर्तिः = female-form)

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् देवः)

• पुराणे: in the Purāṇa
• पुराणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• परिपठ्यते: is recited/read
• परिपठ्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): ‘is recited’

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• एषा: this (she)
• एषा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अम्बुमयी: made of water
• अम्बुमयी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अम्बु + मयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः/उपपद-समासः (अम्बुमयी = made of water)

• मूर्तिः: form, embodiment
• मूर्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ज्ञानदा: bestowing knowledge
• ज्ञानदा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान + दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ज्ञानं ददाति इति)

• ज्ञानवापिका: Jñānavāpikā (the well of knowledge)
• ज्ञानवापिका: Samana-adhikarana (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान + वापिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ज्ञानस्य वापिका)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñānavāpikā

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A doctrinal vision: Mahādeva’s feminine aspect is evoked, and the well itself is shown as Śiva’s watery embodiment—its surface shimmering like consciousness, emanating ‘jñāna’ as light.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Jñānavāpikā
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence can be encountered through tīrthas; sacred waters are embodiments of divinity that awaken jñāna (spiritual insight).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñānavāpikā (Jñānavāpī), praised as knowledge-giving and as a divine embodiment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse establishes the theological identity and spiritual fruit (knowledge) of the tīrtha.