Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

अधिष्ठानं महामेरोर्महापातकनाशनम् । तत्र स्नात्वार्चयित्वेशं किंचिद्दत्त्वा स्वशक्तितः

Transliteration

adhiṣṭhānaṃ mahāmerormahāpātakanāśanam | tatra snātvārcayitveśaṃ kiṃciddattvā svaśaktitaḥ

Translation

ഇത് മഹാമേരുവിന്റെ അധിഷ്ഠാനവും മഹാപാതകനാശകനുമാണ്. അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത്, ഈശ്വരനെ ആരാധിച്ച്, സ്വശക്തിയനുസരിച്ച് അല്പം ദാനം ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• अधिष्ठानम्: the abode/seat
• अधिष्ठानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिष्ठान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• महामेरोः: of Mahāmeru
• महामेरोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामेरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; समासः: महा + मेरु

• महापातकनाशनम्: destroyer of great sins
• महापातकनाशनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापातक-नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः: महापातकस्य नाशनम् = ‘destroyer of great sins’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• अर्चयित्वा: having worshipped
• अर्चयित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); णिच्-प्रत्ययार्थे (causative/denominative sense) ‘having worshipped’

• ईशम्: the Lord (Śiva)
• ईशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• किञ्चित्: something/a little
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किञ्चित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-परिमाण (indefinite ‘something/a little’)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having given’

• स्वशक्तितः: according to one’s ability
• स्वशक्तितः: Hetu/Upāya (Means/हेतु-उपाय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्व-शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘according to one’s power’; समासः: स्व + शक्ति

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Parvata-tīrtha (Meru-adhiṣṭhāna) near Parvateśvara

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred pool/river-edge spot marked as Meru’s seat; the pilgrim bathes, then offers bilva and lamp to a Śiva-liṅga, then places a small donation into a mendicant’s hands—emphasizing 'svāśakti'. A faint cosmic mountain (Meru) silhouette rises behind the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Meru (symbolic sacred seat)
• Īśa (Śiva)
• Parvata-tīrtha/Parvateśvara context

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is completed by a threefold dharma: bathing, worship of Īśa, and charity within one’s means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha described as the ‘seat of Mahāmeru’ within the Kāśī pilgrimage circuit (following Parvateśvara/Parvata-tīrtha context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing), Īśa-arcana (worship of Śiva), and dāna (giving) according to one’s capacity.