Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

स्नात्वाऽयोगंधकुंडे तु भवात्तारयते पितॄन् । महानादेश्वरं लिंगमट्टहासादिहागतम्

Transliteration

snātvā'yogaṃdhakuṃḍe tu bhavāttārayate pitṝn | mahānādeśvaraṃ liṃgamaṭṭahāsādihāgatam

Translation

അയോഗന്ധകുണ്ഡത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ മനുഷ്യൻ പിതൃകളെ ഭവബന്ധനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മോചിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. അട്ടഹാസത്തിൽ നിന്നു വന്ന ‘മഹാനാദേശ്വര’ ലിംഗം ഇവിടെ വിരാജിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नात्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• अयोगंध-कुण्डे: in the Ayogaṃdha pond
• अयोगंध-कुण्डे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोगंध (प्रातिपदिक) + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अयोगंधस्य कुण्डम्)

• तु: and, but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (contrast/continuative)

• भवात्: from worldly existence
• भवात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; ‘भव’ = संसार

• तारयते: causes to cross, delivers
• तारयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु) (causative/णिच्) → तारयति
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• महानाद-ईश्वरम्: (the liṅga) of Mahānādeśvara
• महानाद-ईश्वरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महानाद (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (महानादस्य ईश्वरः)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अट्टहासात्: from (the place called) Aṭṭahāsa
• अट्टहासात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अट्टहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय

• आगतम्: has come
• आगतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अस्ति इति अध्याहारः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayogaṃdha-kuṇḍa; Mahānādeśvara-liṅga

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims bathe in a stepped kuṇḍa (Ayogaṃdha-kuṇḍa) offering tarpaṇa with cupped hands; subtle ancestral figures are shown being lifted from darkness to light; nearby stands Mahānādeśvara-liṅga with a banner indicating its origin ‘Aṭṭahāsa’.

Characters & Entities

• Ayogaṃdha-kuṇḍa
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Mahānādeśvara Liṅga
• Aṭṭahāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snānā in Kāśī is portrayed as benefiting not only the pilgrim but also the ancestral lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayogaṃdha-kuṇḍa in Kāśī, along with Mahānādeśvara Liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) in Ayogaṃdha-kuṇḍa for pitṛ-tāraṇa (uplift of ancestors).