Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

पद्मतीर्थं तदग्रे तु तत्र स्नात्वा नरोत्तमः । पितॄन्संतर्प्य विधिना पद्मयानेव हीयते

Transliteration

padmatīrthaṃ tadagre tu tatra snātvā narottamaḥ | pitṝnsaṃtarpya vidhinā padmayāneva hīyate

Translation

അതിന്റെ മുന്നിൽ പദ്മതീർത്ഥം ഉണ്ട്. അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് നരോത്തമൻ വിധിപൂർവ്വം പിതൃകൾക്ക് തർപ്പണം നടത്തി, പദ്മവിമാനത്തിൽ ആരൂഢനായതുപോലെ പ്രസ്ഥാനം ചെയ്യുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पद्मतीर्थम्: the Padma-tīrtha (sacred ford)
• पद्मतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (पद्मस्य तीर्थम्)

• तदग्रे: in front of it / before it
• तदग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास/अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (तदग्रे = तस्य अग्रे), स्थानवाचक-अव्ययम्

• तु: but / indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपातः

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

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (absolutive/gerund); स्ना धातोः

• नरोत्तमः: the best of men
• नरोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नराणाम् उत्तमः)

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (manes)
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन

• संतर्प्य: having satisfied (offered oblations to)
• संतर्प्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + तृप् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष-अव्ययकृदन्तः (absolutive); सम्-उपसर्गपूर्वकः तृप् धातुः

• विधिना: according to the proper rite
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• पद्मयानेव: as if by the Padma-vehicle (lotus-car)
• पद्मयानेव: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्मयान + एव (प्रातिपदिक + अव्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पद्मस्य यानम्); एव = अव्यय-निपातः (emphasis)

• हीयते: is diminished / falls away
• हीयते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (passive sense)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Padma-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śaunaka-ādi audience (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a lotus-filled tīrtha in Kāśī bathes, then offers tarpaṇa with cupped hands; above, a radiant lotus-vimāna descends, suggesting liberation-like ascent.

Characters & Entities

• Padma-tīrtha
• Pitṛs
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, tīrtha-bathing joined with proper ancestral offerings elevates the devotee and sanctifies one’s lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Padma-tīrtha, a sacred bathing spot within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s map of Kāśī’s tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at Padma-tīrtha followed by Pitṛ-tarpaṇa performed विधिना (according to rule).