Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

ज्ञानवाप्याः पुरोभागे विद्धि मां ज्ञानमाधवम् । तत्र मां भक्तितोभ्यर्च्य ज्ञानं प्राप्नोति शाश्वतम्

Transliteration

jñānavāpyāḥ purobhāge viddhi māṃ jñānamādhavam | tatra māṃ bhaktitobhyarcya jñānaṃ prāpnoti śāśvatam

Translation

ജ്ഞാനവാപിയുടെ മുൻഭാഗത്ത് എന്നെ ‘ജ്ഞാനമാധവൻ’ എന്നു അറിയുക. അവിടെ ഭക്തിയോടെ എന്നെ പൂജിച്ചാൽ ശാശ്വതമായ ജ്ഞാനം ലഭിക്കും।

Word by Word

• ज्ञानवाप्याः: of the Jñāna-vāpī (well of knowledge)
• ज्ञानवाप्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—ज्ञानस्य वापी (Genitive singular)

• पुरोभागे: in the front area
• पुरोभागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—पुरः भागः (in the front part)

• विद्धि: know (recognize)
• विद्धि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (know!)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ज्ञानमाधवम्: Jñāna-Mādhava
• ज्ञानमाधवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—ज्ञानरूपः माधवः/ज्ञानः माधवः (Accusative singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भक्तितः: with devotion
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘from/through devotion’

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (having worshipped)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• शाश्वतम्: eternal
• शाश्वतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies ज्ञानम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñāna-vāpī (with Jñāna-Mādhava)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims within Kāśī-māhātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred well (vāpī) with stone steps; before it stands Jñāna-Mādhava’s icon. A devotee offers lamp and flowers; luminous script-like rays symbolize ‘everlasting knowledge’ descending into the heart.

Characters & Entities

• Jñāna-vāpī
• Jñāna-Mādhava
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti at a sanctified Kāśī locus is presented as a means to stable, enduring jñāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñāna-vāpī and the nearby presence of the deity Jñāna-Mādhava.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhyarcana—devotional worship offered at the spot near Jñāna-vāpī.