Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वृषेश्वरादुदीच्यां तु गंधर्वेश्वरसंज्ञितम् । गंधर्वकुण्डं तत्प्राच्यां तत्र स्नात्वा नरोत्तमः

Transliteration

vṛṣeśvarādudīcyāṃ tu gaṃdharveśvarasaṃjñitam | gaṃdharvakuṇḍaṃ tatprācyāṃ tatra snātvā narottamaḥ

Translation

വൃഷേശ്വരത്തിന്റെ വടക്കായി ‘ഗന്ധർവേശ്വര’ എന്ന പുണ്യസ്ഥലം ഉണ്ട്; അതിന്റെ കിഴക്കായി ഗന്ധർവ-കുണ്ഡവും. അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ ഉത്തമൻ ശുദ്ധനായി ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിന്റെ പ്രശംസിത ഫലങ്ങൾക്ക് അർഹനാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वृषेश्वरात्: from Vṛṣeśvara
• वृषेश्वरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• उदीच्याम्: to the north (in the northern direction)
• उदीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle/contrastive)

• गन्धर्वेश्वरसंज्ञितम्: named ‘Gandharveśvara’
• गन्धर्वेश्वरसंज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गन्धर्वेश्वर + संज्ञित (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा/ज्ञा-धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past passive participle)

• गन्धर्वकुण्डम्: the Gandharva-pond
• गन्धर्वकुण्डम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तत्: of that (pond)
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्राच्याम्: to the east (in the eastern direction)
• प्राच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• नरोत्तमः: the best of men
• नरोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandharva-kuṇḍa (at Gandharveśvara)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim approaches a small kuṇḍa east of a liṅga-shrine; the shrine stands amid Kāśī lanes, with subtle celestial musicians (Gandharvas) suggested in the sky; water glints as a purifying medium.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣeśvara
• Gandharveśvara
• Gandharva-kuṇḍa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sanctity is mapped through precise sacred landmarks; approaching them with reverence and bathing at the tīrtha is presented as a direct means of purification and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gandharva-kuṇḍa, located east of Gandharveśvara, north of Vṛṣeśvara in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Gandharva-kuṇḍa.