Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

बिंदुमाधव उवाच । आदौ पादोदके तीर्थे विद्धि मामादिकेशवम् । अग्निबिंदो महाप्राज्ञ भक्तानां मुक्तिदायकम्

Transliteration

biṃdumādhava uvāca | ādau pādodake tīrthe viddhi māmādikeśavam | agnibiṃdo mahāprājña bhaktānāṃ muktidāyakam

Translation

ബിന്ദുമാധവൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ മഹാപ്രാജ്ഞ അഗ്നിബിന്ദു, ആദ്യം പാദോദക തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ എന്നെ ആദികേശവനായി അറിയുക; ഞാൻ ഭക്തർക്കു മോക്ഷദായകൻ ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• बिन्दुमाधवः: Bindu-Mādhava
• बिन्दुमाधवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिन्दु + माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बिन्दु-नामकः माधवः

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• आदौ: at first
• आदौ: Kriya-visheshana (Time/Order)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (locative used adverbially); काल/क्रमवाचक

• पादोदके: in (the) Pādodaka
• पादोदके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; पादस्य उदकम्

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विद्धि: know, understand
• विद्धि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आदिकेशवम्: Ādi-Keśava
• आदिकेशवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि + केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आदिः केशवः (प्रथमः केशवः)

• अग्निबिन्दो: O Agnibindu
• अग्निबिन्दो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निबिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• महाप्राज्ञ: O very wise one
• महाप्राज्ञ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘अग्निबिन्दो’

• भक्तानाम्: of devotees
• भक्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मुक्तिदायकम्: giver of liberation
• मुक्तिदायकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्ति + दायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मुक्तिं ददाति इति; विशेषणं ‘माम्/आदिकेशवम्’

Speaker

Bindumādhava (a form/title of Viṣṇu in Kāśī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pādodaka-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bindumādhava (Viṣṇu) instructs Agnibindu: at the Pādodaka-tīrtha, recognize Me as Ādi-keśava. The scene centers on a sacred water spot—clear water in a stone-lined basin/ghat—while Viṣṇu appears with conch, discus, mace, lotus, radiating a liberating presence.

Characters & Entities

• Bindumādhava
• Pādodaka Tīrtha
• Ādikeshava
• Agnibindu
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognizing and worshipping the deity in a specific sacred locale is presented as a direct cause of mukti for devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pādodaka Tīrtha in Kāśī, connected with Ādikeshava/Bindumādhava.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upāsanā/arcana is implied: ‘know Me as Ādikeshava’ at the tīrtha, indicating devotional worship at that site.