Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

अवश्यं ज्ञानवापी सा नाम्ना भवितुमर्हति । चित्रं चित्रगतापीह या तव ज्ञानदायिनी

Transliteration

avaśyaṃ jñānavāpī sā nāmnā bhavitumarhati | citraṃ citragatāpīha yā tava jñānadāyinī

Translation

നിശ്ചയമായും അവൾ ‘ജ്ഞാനവാപി’ എന്ന നാമത്തിന് അർഹയാണ്. അത്ഭുതം—ഇവിടെ വെറും കിണറായിട്ടും അവൾ നിനക്കു ജ്ഞാനം നൽകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अवश्यम्: certainly
• अवश्यम्: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अवश्यम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (certainly/necessarily)

• ज्ञान-वापी: the well of knowledge
• ज्ञान-वापी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ज्ञानस्य वापी)

• सा: she / that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• भवितुम्: to be / to become
• भवितुम्: Kriya (Infinitival complement/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √भू (धातु); तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (infinitive)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), कर्तुमर्थे (to be/become)

• अर्हति: is worthy / deserves
• अर्हति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चित्रम्: wonderful / strange
• चित्रम्: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भावे (as an exclamation: 'wonder!')

• चित्र-गता: having attained something wondrous
• चित्र-गता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गम् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (चित्रं गता = having gone to/attained a wondrous state)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षाबोधक-अव्यय (also/even)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: here/in this world)

• या: who
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीय-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• ज्ञान-दायिनी: giver of knowledge
• ज्ञान-दायिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + दायिनी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दा (धातु) णिनि-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ज्ञानं ददाति इति)

Speaker

Kalāvatī’s attendants (marveling at the tīrtha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñānavāpī

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous well whose waters seem to glow with insight; Kalāvatī is shown receiving ‘knowledge’ as a subtle radiance rising from the water, while attendants watch in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Jñānavāpī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are not ordinary geography: a tīrtha can become a direct instrument of jñāna, transforming perception and life-direction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñānavāpī in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse underscores the merit and marvel of Jñānavāpī as knowledge-giving, encouraging pilgrimage and darśana.