Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

ज्येष्ठां गौरीं नमस्कृत्य ज्येष्ठवापी परिप्लुता । सौभाग्यभाजनं भूयाद्योषा सौभाग्यभागपि

Transliteration

jyeṣṭhāṃ gaurīṃ namaskṛtya jyeṣṭhavāpī pariplutā | saubhāgyabhājanaṃ bhūyādyoṣā saubhāgyabhāgapi

Translation

ജ്യേഷ്ഠാ-ഗൗരിയെ നമസ്കരിച്ചു ജ്യേഷ്ഠവാപിയിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ സ്ത്രീ സൗഭാഗ്യത്തിന്റെ പാത്രമാകുന്നു—മംഗളസമൃദ്ധിയുടെ പങ്കാളിയുമാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• ज्येष्ठाम्: the eldest/most excellent (f.)
• ज्येष्ठाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्येष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• गौरीम्: Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• गौरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नमस्कृत्य: having saluted
• नमस्कृत्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having done)

• ज्येष्ठवापी: the Jyeṣṭha-well/pond
• ज्येष्ठवापी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठ + वापी (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (ज्येष्ठा वापी)

• परिप्लुता: flooded/filled all around
• परिप्लुता: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + प्लु (धातु) → परिप्लुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• सौभाग्यभाजनम्: a receptacle/source of good fortune
• सौभाग्यभाजनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौभाग्य + भाजन (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सौभाग्यस्य भाजनम्)

• भूयात्: may it become
• भूयात्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• योषा: a woman
• योषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सौभाग्यभाग्: a sharer/possessor of good fortune
• सौभाग्यभाग्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौभाग्य + भाग् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सौभाग्यस्य भाग् = भागिनी)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa context, Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jyeṣṭhavāpī

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A woman devotee, hands folded, salutes Jyeṣṭhā-Gaurī near a stone shrine; behind her is a stepped water tank (vāpī) with rippling water, lamps, and bilva leaves; Kāśī’s lanes and temple spires frame the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Jyeṣṭhā-Gaurī
• Jyeṣṭhavāpī
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devī-upāsanā joined with tīrtha-snāna is presented as a dharmic means to cultivate auspiciousness and well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jyeṣṭhavāpī and the worship of Jyeṣṭhā-Gaurī in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer reverence to Jyeṣṭhā-Gaurī and bathe (snāna) in Jyeṣṭhavāpī.