Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

श्रीकंठ सन्निधौ देवी महालक्ष्मीर्जगज्जनिः । स्नात्वा श्रीकुंड तीर्थे तु समर्च्या जगदंबिका

Transliteration

śrīkaṃṭha sannidhau devī mahālakṣmīrjagajjaniḥ | snātvā śrīkuṃḍa tīrthe tu samarcyā jagadaṃbikā

Translation

ശ്രീകണ്ഠന്റെ സന്നിധിയിൽ ജഗജ്ജനനിയായ ദേവി മഹാലക്ഷ്മി വിരാജിക്കുന്നു. ശ്രീകുണ്ഡ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ആ ജഗദംബികയെ ആരാധിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• श्रीकण्ठ: Śrīkaṇṭha (Śiva)
• श्रीकण्ठ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीकण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (श्रीः कण्ठे यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे सम्बोधन/प्रातिपदिक-प्रयोगः; अत्र ‘श्रीकण्ठस्य’ इत्यर्थे (intended genitive: ‘of Śrīkaṇṭha/Śiva’)

• सन्निधौ: in the presence
• सन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महालक्ष्मीः: Mahālakṣmī
• महालक्ष्मीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महती लक्ष्मी), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जगज्जनिः: mother/origin of the world
• जगज्जनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + जनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (जगतः जनिः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समनाधिकरण (apposition)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive: having bathed)

• श्रीकुण्ड: Śrīkuṇḍa (sacred pond)
• श्रीकुण्ड: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (श्रीमान् कुण्डः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे (locative relation) एकवचन; ‘श्रीकुण्डे’ इत्यर्थे (place-name used with following)

• तीर्थे: at the pilgrimage spot
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: indeed, and
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: contrast/emphasis)

• समर्च्या: to be duly worshipped
• समर्च्या: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अर्च्य (कृदन्त; √अर्च् धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (to be duly worshipped)

• जगदम्बिका: Jagadambikā (Mother of the world)
• जगदम्बिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + अम्बिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (जगतः अम्बिका), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समनाधिकरण (apposition)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīkuṇḍa tīrtha (with Mahālakṣmī near Śrīkaṇṭha)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims bathe at a small stepped tank (Śrīkuṇḍa) near a Śiva precinct (Śrīkaṇṭha), then approach a shrine of Mahālakṣmī as Jagadambā with lotus and pot of abundance; the scene blends purity and prosperity.

Characters & Entities

• Śrīkaṇṭha
• Mahālakṣmī
• Śrīkuṇḍa Tīrtha
• Jagadambikā
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage in Kāśī is completed through tīrtha-snān and Devī-arcana, uniting purity and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śrīkuṇḍa Tīrtha and the Mahālakṣmī shrine near Śrīkaṇṭha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

First snāna (bathing) at Śrīkuṇḍa Tīrtha, then samarcana (worship) of Mahālakṣmī (Jagadambikā).