Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

विरजस्कं महापीठं तत्र संसेव्य मानवः । विरजा जायते नूनं चतुर्नद कृतोदकः

Transliteration

virajaskaṃ mahāpīṭhaṃ tatra saṃsevya mānavaḥ | virajā jāyate nūnaṃ caturnada kṛtodakaḥ

Translation

‘വിരജസ്ക’ എന്ന മഹാപീഠം സേവിച്ചാൽ മനുഷ്യൻ നിശ്ചയമായി മലിനതരഹിതനാകും. അവിടെ നാലു നദികളുടെ ജലത്തോടെ ഉദകകർമ്മം ചെയ്തവൻ യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ ശുദ്ധനാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• विरजस्कम्: free from impurity/dustless
• विरजस्कम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter accusative singular; qualifying पीठम्)

• महापीठम्: the great sacred seat (pīṭha)
• महापीठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महद् पीठम्) (neuter accusative singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location adjunct/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb: 'there')

• संसेव्य: having resorted to / having served
• संसेव्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + सेव् (धातु) + ल्यप् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभावकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकाल (having resorted to/served)

• मानवः: a man
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine nominative singular)

• विरजा: free from impurity
• विरजा: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (feminine nominative singular; predicate adjective)

• जायते: becomes
• जायते: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (3rd person singular: 'is born/becomes')

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Emphasis (निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (particle of certainty: 'surely')

• चतुर्नद: (with) four rivers
• चतुर्नद: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + नद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (as first member in compound with कृतोदकः; dvigu: 'four rivers')

• कृतोदकः: one who has performed ablution
• कृतोदकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कृतम् उदकं येन/यस्मिन्) (masculine nominative singular: 'one who has made water/ablution')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Virajaska Mahāpīṭha

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stone platform (pīṭha) near a sacred water spot; pilgrims pour water from four small vessels labeled as four rivers into a common basin, then sprinkle and sip; the atmosphere is quiet and cleansing.

Characters & Entities

• Virajaska Mahāpīṭha
• Caturnada (four rivers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred seats are presented as transformative: sincere service and tīrtha-rites remove inner and outer impurity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Virajaska Mahāpīṭha in Kāśī, along with the associated ‘caturnada’ water observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃsevana (devout resort/service) at Virajaska Mahāpīṭha and a water-rite involving ‘four rivers’ (caturnada-kṛtodakaḥ), implying snāna/udaka-kriyā.