Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 180

Devanagari script

दक्षिणेऽगस्त्यतीर्थाच्च तीर्थमस्त्यतिपावनम् । गंगाकेशवसंज्ञं च सर्वपातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

dakṣiṇe'gastyatīrthācca tīrthamastyatipāvanam | gaṃgākeśavasaṃjñaṃ ca sarvapātakanāśanam

Translation

അഗസ്ത്യ തീർത്ഥത്തിന്റെ തെക്കുവശത്ത് മറ്റൊരു അതിപാവന തീർത്ഥമുണ്ട്; ‘ഗംഗാകേശവ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമായ അത് സർവ്വപാതകങ്ങളും നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• दक्षिणे: in the south
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; दिग्वाचक (direction)

• अगस्त्यतीर्थात्: from Agastya-tīrtha
• अगस्त्यतीर्थात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; समास: अगस्त्यस्य तीर्थम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coordination conjunction)

• तीर्थम्: a sacred place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अतिपावनम्: very purifying
• अतिपावनम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणं तीर्थम् इति

• गंगाकेशवसंज्ञम्: named ‘Gaṅgā-Keśava’
• गंगाकेशवसंज्ञम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गङ्गा-केशव-संज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समास: गङ्गा-केशव इति संज्ञा यस्य (संज्ञा-तत्पुरुष/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभाव)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय conjunction)

• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-पातक-नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समास: सर्वेषां पातकानां नाशनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda teaching Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgākeśava

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bright Gaṅgā ford south of Agastya Tīrtha; pilgrims descend steps for snāna; a small Keśava emblem or shrine near the water; the river glows as if washing away dark stains symbolizing sins.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya Tīrtha
• Gaṅgākeśava Tīrtha
• Keśava (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s tīrthas are presented as inherently purifying; approaching specific named sites is said to eradicate even accumulated sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgākeśava Tīrtha, located south of Agastya Tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies tīrtha-sevā (visiting/approaching the tīrtha for purification), though no specific rite is detailed here.