Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

तत ऐक्ष्वाकवं तीर्थं सर्वाघौघविनाशनम् । तत्र स्नानेन पूतात्मा जायते मनुजोत्तमः

Transliteration

tata aikṣvākavaṃ tīrthaṃ sarvāghaughavināśanam | tatra snānena pūtātmā jāyate manujottamaḥ

Translation

പിന്നീട് സർവ്വ പാപങ്ങളെയും നശിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ഐക്ഷ്വാകവ തീർത്ഥം. അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്നതിലൂടെ ആത്മാവ് ശുദ്ധീകരിക്കപ്പെടുകയും മനുഷ്യരിൽ ഉത്തമനായിത്തീരുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध-क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): 'then/thereafter'

• aikṣvākavam: belonging to the Ikṣvāku lineage
• aikṣvākavam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aikṣvākava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थम्)

• tīrtham: tīrtha (sacred ford)
• tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• sarva-agha-ogha-vināśanam: destroyer of all floods of sin
• sarva-agha-ogha-vināśanam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + agha (प्रातिपदिक) + ogha (प्रातिपदिक) + vināśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थम्); तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वेषां अघानां ओघस्य विनाशनम्)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place): 'there'

• snānena: by bathing
• snānena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• pūta-ātmā: one whose self is purified
• pūta-ātmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √pū 'to purify') + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (पूतः आत्मा यस्य)

• jāyate: is born/becomes
• jāyate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• manuja-uttamaḥ: an excellent man
• manuja-uttamaḥ: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manuja (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (उत्तमो मनुजः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aikṣvāka-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience/interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn, pilgrims bathe at Aikṣvāka-tīrtha; dark ink-like ‘sin’ motifs dissolve into the water as the bather’s aura becomes clear and bright; a subtle emblem of the solar dynasty (sun-disc/royal banner) appears above.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Aikṣvāka-tīrtha
• Ikṣvāku lineage (Aikṣvāka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s tīrthas are portrayed as purifiers: sincere bathing is said to cleanse deep accumulations of sin and refine one’s character.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aikṣvāka-tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at Aikṣvāka-tīrtha for purification.