Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

तीर्थद्वयं प्रतीक्षंते सिस्नासून्पितरो नरान् । गंगायां धर्मकूपे च पिंडनिर्वपणाशया

Transliteration

tīrthadvayaṃ pratīkṣaṃte sisnāsūnpitaro narān | gaṃgāyāṃ dharmakūpe ca piṃḍanirvapaṇāśayā

Translation

ഗംഗയും ധർമ്മകൂപവും—ഈ രണ്ടു തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന മനുഷ്യരെ പിതൃകൾ പിണ്ഡനിവേദനത്തിന്റെ പ്രതീക്ഷയോടെ കാത്തിരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तीर्थद्वयं: the two tīrthas
• तीर्थद्वयं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रतीक्षन्ते: wait for/expect
• प्रतीक्षन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada)

• सिस्नासून्: those wishing to bathe
• सिस्नासून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sisnāsu (प्रातिपदिक; desiderative noun from √snā)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पितरः: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नरान्: men/people
• नरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• गंगायां: in the Gaṅgā
• गंगायां: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• धर्मकूपे: in/at Dharmakūpa
• धर्मकूपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + kūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• पिंडनिर्वपणाशया: with the hope of offering piṇḍas
• पिंडनिर्वपणाशया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa + nirvapaṇa + āśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā and Dharma-kūpa (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two sacred waters are shown: the flowing Gaṅgā at a Kāśī ghāṭa and a revered well (Dharma-kūpa). Subtle, luminous pitṛ figures hover, watching as a devotee prepares piṇḍas on darbha grass.

Characters & Entities

• Pitaraḥ (ancestors)
• Gaṅgā
• Dharma-kūpa
• Piṇḍa (piṇḍa-dāna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pitr̥-dharma is honored: tīrtha-bathing is linked with gratitude to ancestors through piṇḍa and related offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharma-kūpa in Kāśī, alongside the Gaṅgā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at Gaṅgā and Dharma-kūpa, with piṇḍa-nirvapaṇa (piṇḍa offerings) for the ancestors.