Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

हरिश्चंद्रेश्वरं नत्वा न सत्यात्परिहीयते । ततः पर्वततीर्थं च पर्वतेश्वर संनिधौ

Transliteration

hariścaṃdreśvaraṃ natvā na satyātparihīyate | tataḥ parvatatīrthaṃ ca parvateśvara saṃnidhau

Translation

ഹരിശ്ചന്ദ്രേശ്വരനെ നമസ്കരിച്ചാൽ സത്യത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ഒരാൾ വഴുതുകയില്ല. തുടർന്ന് പർവതേശ്വര സന്നിധിയിൽ പർവതതീർത്ഥം സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നു.

Word by Word

• हरिश्चन्द्रेश्वरम्: Hariścandreśvara (Lord of Hariścandra)
• हरिश्चन्द्रेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिश्चन्द्र-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः: हरिश्चन्द्रस्य ईश्वरः

• नत्वा: having bowed (to)
• नत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having bowed’

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• सत्यात्: from truth
• सत्यात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• परिहीयते: is deprived/diminishes
• परिहीयते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-हा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present Indicative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः ‘is diminished/declines’

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kāla/Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Time/Place adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘thereafter/from there’

• पर्वततीर्थम्: the Parvata-tīrtha
• पर्वततीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः: पर्वतस्य तीर्थम्

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

• पर्वतेश्वर: O Parvateśvara / Parvateśvara (name)
• पर्वतेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समासः; संबोधन/प्रथमा-एकवचनरूपेण (vocative/nominative form used as name)

• संनिधौ: in the vicinity/presence
• संनिधौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संनिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hariścandreśvara and Parvata-tīrtha (near Parvateśvara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands before a Śiva-liṅga labeled Hariścandreśvara, hands folded; behind, a subtle motif of a balance/scale symbolizes satya. The path then leads to a small water-tīrtha (Parvata-tīrtha) beside Parvateśvara’s shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Hariścandreśvara
• Parvata-tīrtha
• Parvateśvara
• Kāśī (Varanasi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Śiva as Hariścandreśvara is linked with steadfastness in satya (truthfulness).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hariścandreśvara and, next in sequence, Parvata-tīrtha near Parvateśvara in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (bowing) to Hariścandreśvara and proceeding to Parvata-tīrtha in Parvateśvara’s vicinity.