Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अंबरीषं ततस्तीर्थं महापातकनाशनम् । तत्र वै शुभकर्माणो जना नो गर्भभाजनम्

Transliteration

aṃbarīṣaṃ tatastīrthaṃ mahāpātakanāśanam | tatra vai śubhakarmāṇo janā no garbhabhājanam

Translation

അടുത്തത് അംബരീഷതീർത്ഥം; അത് മഹാപാതകങ്ങളെ നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. അവിടെ ശുഭകർമ്മങ്ങളിൽ ഏർപ്പെട്ടവർ വീണ്ടും ഗർഭഭാജനം (പുനർജന്മം) പ്രാപിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• अंबरीषम्: (the) Ambarīṣa (tīrtha)
• अंबरीषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंबरीष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तीर्थनाम

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Avyaya (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (sequence/ablatival adverb: ‘thereafter/from there’)

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महापातकनाशनम्: destroyer of great sins
• महापातकनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापातकनाशन (प्रातिपदिक; महा + पातक + नाशन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘महापातकानां नाशनम्’ इति; तीर्थम् इति विशेषणम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• शुभकर्माणः: of auspicious deeds
• शुभकर्माणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; शुभ + कर्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘शुभं कर्म येषां ते’ इति बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रयोगः (रूपतः कर्मधारय-समास-प्रातिपदिक); जना इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नः: not
• नः: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात; ‘न’ इत्यस्य पदान्त-रूपम् (before voiced sound)

• गर्भभाजनम्: a womb-receptacle (rebirth)
• गर्भभाजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भभाजन (प्रातिपदिक; गर्भ + भाजन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘गर्भस्य भाजनम्’ = गर्भधारण-स्थानम्/योनि

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ambarīṣa-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim bathes at Ambarīṣa-tīrtha; dark smoke-like forms symbolizing mahāpātakas dissolve into the river; in the background, a regal yet humble King Ambarīṣa is depicted offering worship, indicating śubha-karman and devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Ambarīṣa-tīrtha
• Kāśī (Varanasi)
• Mahāpātaka (great sins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places amplify dharma: purification from grave faults and release from rebirth are linked to righteous conduct joined with tīrtha-sevā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ambarīṣa-tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is specified beyond tīrtha-connection; the verse emphasizes śubha-karma (auspicious living) in that sacred place.