Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

ततोपि शुभदं वीर बंदीतीर्थं प्रचक्षते । यत्र स्नातो नरो मुच्येदपि संसारबंधनात्

Transliteration

tatopi śubhadaṃ vīra baṃdītīrthaṃ pracakṣate | yatra snāto naro mucyedapi saṃsārabaṃdhanāt

Translation

ഹേ വീരാ! അതിലും കൂടുതൽ ശുഭപ്രദമെന്ന് ‘ബന്ധീ തീർത്ഥം’ എന്നു പറയുന്നു; അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്ന മനുഷ്യൻ സംസാരബന്ധനത്തിൽ നിന്നുപോലും മോചിതനാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ततः: than that / from that
• ततः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/तुलनावाचक (than that/from that)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान (even)

• शुभदम्: bestowing auspiciousness
• शुभदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभद (प्रातिपदिक; शुभ+द)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थ-विशेषण)

• वीर: O hero
• वीर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• बंदी-तीर्थम्: the Bandī-tīrtha
• बंदी-तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बंदी (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नामधेय-समास (Bandī-named tīrtha)

• प्रचक्षते: they declare / call
• प्रचक्षते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-सम्बन्ध (where)

• स्नातः: (a man) having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘having bathed’

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मुच्येत्: would be freed
• मुच्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (be released)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान (even)

• संसार-बंधनात्: from the bondage of saṃsāra
• संसार-बंधनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + बंधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अपादान (from bondage)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bandī Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim bathes at Bandī Tīrtha; broken chains float away symbolically; the atmosphere is quiet and luminous, suggesting release from saṃsāra. A subtle presence of the Mother Goddess is felt as protective grace.

Characters & Entities

• Bandī Tīrtha
• Saṃsāra-bandhana (bondage of transmigration)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s tīrthas are depicted as gateways to mokṣa; holy bathing symbolizes inner release from karmic and worldly bondage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bandī Tīrtha, praised as exceptionally auspicious within Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at Bandī Tīrtha, yielding freedom from saṃsāra-bandhana.