Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मयज्ञसकृत्कृत्वा मम दक्षिणमंडपे । ब्रह्मलोकमवाप्याथ परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति

Transliteration

brahmayajñasakṛtkṛtvā mama dakṣiṇamaṃḍape | brahmalokamavāpyātha paraṃ brahmādhigacchati

Translation

എന്റെ ദക്ഷിണമണ്ഡപത്തിൽ ബ്രഹ്മയജ്ഞം ഒരിക്കൽ പോലും ചെയ്താൽ, അവൻ ബ്രഹ്മലോകം പ്രാപിച്ച് പിന്നെ പരബ്രഹ്മത്തെ സാക്ഷാത്കരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मयज्ञसकृत्: once (as a brahma-yajña)
• ब्रह्मयज्ञसकृत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ब्रह्म-यज्ञ-सकृत् (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्म + यज्ञ + सकृत्)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘एकवारम्’

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• दक्षिणमण्डपे: in the southern pavilion
• दक्षिणमण्डपे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण-मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक; दक्षिण + मण्डप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• ब्रह्मलोकम्: Brahma-loka
• ब्रह्मलोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-लोक (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्म + लोक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गन्तव्य (goal)

• अवाप्य: having attained
• अवाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अव-आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; ‘प्राप्य’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/अनन्तरार्थक (then)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गन्तव्य (goal)

• अधिगच्छति: attains/realizes
• अधिगच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dakṣiṇa Maṇḍapa (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience within Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a southern mandapa, a learned devotee performs Brahma-yajña: reciting Veda with controlled breath, offering water (ācamana) and mental oblations; above, a visionary ladder from Brahmaloka to formless Brahman light.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Dakṣiṇa Maṇḍapa
• Brahmaloka
• Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural study offered as yajña in Kāśī becomes a direct ladder from heavenly attainment to Brahman-realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dakṣiṇa Maṇḍapa (Southern pavilion/precinct) in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing Brahma-yajña (sacred recitation/study as a duty-yajña) there, even once.