Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

आंबरीषमहातीर्थमघघ्नं तस्य सन्निधौ । तत्रौदकीं क्रियां कुर्वन्निष्कालुष्यं लभेन्नरः

Transliteration

āṃbarīṣamahātīrthamaghaghnaṃ tasya sannidhau | tatraudakīṃ kriyāṃ kurvanniṣkāluṣyaṃ labhennaraḥ

Translation

അതിന്റെ സമീപത്ത് പാപനാശകമായ അഘഘ്ന ആംബരീഷ മഹാതീർത്ഥം ഉണ്ട്. അവിടെ ജലക്രിയകൾ അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുന്നവൻ കലുഷതയില്ലാത്ത ശുദ്ധി പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• आंबरीषमहातीर्थम्: the great Āmbārīṣa-tīrtha
• आंबरीषमहातीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आंबरीष + महा + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (आंबरीषस्य महातीर्थम्)

• अघघ्नम्: sin-destroying
• अघघ्नम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अघ + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (अघं हन्ति इति)

• तस्य: of that (tīrtha)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सन्निधौ: in the vicinity
• सन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

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

• औदकीम्: water-related
• औदकीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: औदकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘उदक’सम्बन्धिनी (water-related)

• क्रियाम्: rite, act
• क्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• कुर्वन्: doing, performing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• निष्कालुष्यम्: freedom from impurity
• निष्कालुष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निः + कालुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; नञ्/निः-पूर्वक तत्पुरुषः (absence of impurity)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Āmbārīṣa-mahā-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśī-māhātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A broad stone ghāṭa with a marked tīrtha spot; pilgrims scoop water in cupped hands offering tarpaṇa; a small shrine marker indicates Āmbārīṣa-tīrtha; the atmosphere is clean, bright, and purifying.

Characters & Entities

• Āmbārīṣa-mahātīrtha
• pāpa (sin)
• udakī kriyā (water rites)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity and inner cleansing are intensified when dharmic water-rites are performed at a renowned tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Āmbārīṣa-mahātīrtha, praised as aghaghna (destroyer of sin).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing udakī-kriyā—rites involving sacred water such as libations and purificatory acts.