Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

यत्रास्ति तीर्थमघहृत्पितृप्रीतिविवर्धनम् । यत्स्नानाद्वृत्रहा वृत्रवधपापाद्विमुक्तवान्

Transliteration

yatrāsti tīrthamaghahṛtpitṛprītivivardhanam | yatsnānādvṛtrahā vṛtravadhapāpādvimuktavān

Translation

എവിടെ പാപഹരമായ തീർത്ഥം ഉണ്ടായി പിതൃകളുടെ പ്രീതിയെ വർധിപ്പിക്കുന്നുവോ; അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്തതാൽ വൃത്രഹാ ഇന്ദ്രൻ വൃത്രവധപാപത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വിമുക്തനായി.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक अव्यय) — locative adverb “where”

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• तीर्थम्: sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma/Predicate nominative (कर्म/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• अघहृत्: sin-removing
• अघहृत्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अघ + हृत् (प्रातिपदिक; √हृ धातु-जन्य)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अघं हरति इति), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (agreeing with तीर्थम् as qualifier)

• पितृप्रीतिविवर्धनम्: increasing the satisfaction of ancestors
• पितृप्रीतिविवर्धनम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ + प्रीति + विवर्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पितॄणां प्रीतिं विवर्धयति इति), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (qualifying तीर्थम्)

• यत्: from which
• यत्: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन; sandhi in यत्स्नानात्

• स्नानात्: from bathing
• स्नानात्: Apadana (Ablative cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन

• वृत्रहा: Vṛtrahā (Indra, slayer of Vṛtra)
• वृत्रहा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्रहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वृत्रं हन्ति इति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• वृत्रवधपापात्: from the sin of killing Vṛtra
• वृत्रवधपापात्: Apadana (Ablative separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र + वध + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वृत्रवधस्य पापम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन; sandhi in वृत्रवधपापाद्

• विमुक्तवान्: was freed/released
• विमुक्तवान्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु) + क्तवत् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; finite sense “was freed”

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Unnamed Kāśī tīrtha (aghahṛt, pitṛ-prīti-vivardhana)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous Gaṅgā-tīrtha in Kāśī at dawn; Indra (Vṛtrahā) stands with folded hands entering the water, while pitṛs are envisioned receiving tarpaṇa; the atmosphere is sanctified by bells and rising mist.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Indra (Vṛtrahā)
• Vṛtra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snānā is celebrated as a purifier of grave sins and as a means to nourish ancestral satisfaction (pitṛ-prīti).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particular sin-destroying tīrtha within the Kāśī sphere is indicated, though its proper name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (sacred bathing) at the tīrtha; the verse also hints at pitṛ-related merit (pitṛ-prīti).