Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

तत्र कुंडे नरः स्नात्वा दृष्ट्वा वै नारदेश्वरम् । संसाराब्धिमहाघोरं संतरेन्नात्र संजयः

Transliteration

tatra kuṃḍe naraḥ snātvā dṛṣṭvā vai nāradeśvaram | saṃsārābdhimahāghoraṃ saṃtarennātra saṃjayaḥ

Translation

അവിടെയുള്ള കുണ്ഡത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത്, നിശ്ചയമായി നാരദേശ്വരനെ ദർശിക്കുന്നവൻ, അത്യന്തം ഭയങ്കരമായ സംസാരസമുദ്രം കടന്നുപോകും—ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല.

Word by Word

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

• कुण्डे: in the pond
• कुण्डे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• नरः: a man; person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्नात्वा (कृदन्त; √स्ना (धातु) त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (gerund)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृष्ट्वा (कृदन्त; √दृश् (धातु) त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (gerund)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/पादपूरण-अव्यय (indeed)

• नारदेश्वरम्: Nāradeśvara
• नारदेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारदेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; नारद + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नारदस्य ईश्वरः)

• संसाराब्धिमहाघोरम्: the very terrible ocean of saṃsāra
• संसाराब्धिमहाघोरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संसाराब्धिमहाघोर (प्रातिपदिक; संसार + अब्धि + महा + घोर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अभिप्रेतः 'संसाराब्धिः'—world-ocean); कर्मधारय-प्रधानः (महाघोरः संसाराब्धिः)

• संतरेत्: would cross over
• संतरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √तॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• संजयः: doubt
• संजयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचकः (doubt)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nārada-kuṇḍa (with Nāradeśvara darśana)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim bathes in a calm kuṇḍa under Nārada’s remembered presence; upon seeing Nāradeśvara, the background transforms into a symbolic ocean with a safe crossing—lighted path or boat—signifying saṃsāra-taraṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Nāradeśvara
• Kuṇḍa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Saṃsāra-abdhi (ocean of rebirth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional bathing and Śiva-darśana in Kāśī are celebrated as powerful means for transcending worldly bondage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kuṇḍa established by Nārada and the liṅga/shrine called Nāradeśvara in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna in the kuṇḍa and darśana of Nāradeśvara.