Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

तत्रोद्दालकतीर्थं च सर्वाघौघ विनाशनम् । ददाति महतीमृद्धिं स्नानमात्रेण तन्नृणाम्

Transliteration

tatroddālakatīrthaṃ ca sarvāghaugha vināśanam | dadāti mahatīmṛddhiṃ snānamātreṇa tannṛṇām

Translation

അവിടെ ഉദ്‌ദാലക തീർത്ഥം ഉണ്ട്; പാപസമൂഹത്തിന്റെ പ്രചണ്ഡപ്രവാഹം നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നതു. അവിടെ സ്നാനമാത്രം കൊണ്ടുതന്നെ മനുഷ്യർക്കു മഹാസമൃദ്ധിയും ക്ഷേമവും ലഭിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• उद्दालकतीर्थम्: the Uddālaka sacred ford
• उद्दालकतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्दालक (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

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

• सर्वाघौघविनाशनम्: destroyer of all streams of sin
• सर्वाघौघविनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अघ (प्रातिपदिक) + ओघ (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter nom/acc sg; adjective)

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• महतīmृद्धिम्: great prosperity
• महतīmृद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'महतīm' विशेषण (fem acc sg) + 'ऋद्धिम्' (fem acc sg)

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental singular); साधन/हेतु (means)

• तत्: of those
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (genitive plural); 'नृणाम्' इत्यस्य विशेषण (of those men)

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Udālaka Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim descends stone steps into a calm sacred pool/river inlet marked ‘Udālaka Tīrtha’; priests hold waterpots; the atmosphere suggests immediate purification and prosperity.

Characters & Entities

• Udālaka Tīrtha
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s tīrthas are portrayed as powerful purifiers—simple acts like bathing, done with faith, can erase accumulated sin and uplift one’s life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Udālaka Tīrtha, a sacred bathing place within the Kāśī sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) alone is highlighted as sufficient to yield great benefit.