Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

ततः पिशंगिला तीर्थं दर्शनादपि पापहृत् । मुने ममाधिष्ठानं वै तदगस्तेऽति सिद्धिदम्

Transliteration

tataḥ piśaṃgilā tīrthaṃ darśanādapi pāpahṛt | mune mamādhiṣṭhānaṃ vai tadagaste'ti siddhidam

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം പിശംഗിലാ എന്ന തീർത്ഥം; അതിന്റെ ദർശനം മാത്രത്താലും പാപം നീങ്ങുന്നു. ഹേ മുനേ, അത് സത്യത്തിൽ എന്റെ അധിഷ്ഠാനമാണ്—അഗസ്ത്യാ, നിനക്കറിയുന്ന—പരമസിദ്ധിപ്രദം.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/Setting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of sequence/ablatival sense)

• पिशंगिला: Piśaṃgilā (name of the tīrtha)
• पिशंगिला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशंगिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तीर्थ-नाम (proper name)

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• दर्शनात्: from (mere) seeing
• दर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: निपात (particle)

• पापहृत्: sin-removing
• पापहृत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हृ (धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भावः: पापं हरति इति); कृदन्त: क्विप्-प्रत्ययान्त (हृत्), प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

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

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अधिष्ठानम्: abode; seat; sacred station
• अधिष्ठानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिष्ठान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: निपात (emphatic particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Demonstrative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• सिद्धिदम्: granting success/accomplishment
• सिद्धिदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + दा (धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सिद्धिं ददाति इति); कृदन्त: क्तिन्-समासान्त/उपपद-भावः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Piśaṃgilā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (addressed as ‘muni’ and named)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous river-ford in Kāśī; the tīrtha is shown as a threshold where sin falls away at mere sight. A subtle divine presence marks it as ‘My abode’; Agastya is evoked as the knowing sage.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Piśaṃgilā Tīrtha
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, even darśana of a holy tīrtha is spiritually efficacious—purifying sin and leading toward higher siddhi.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Piśaṃgilā Tīrtha, presented as a highly purifying pilgrimage spot within Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is commanded here; the verse emphasizes the merit of darśana (visiting/seeing) the tīrtha.