Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

धनयक्षादुत्तरस्मिन्दिग्भागे संस्थितं द्विज । वसिष्ठकुण्डं विख्यातं सर्वपापापहं सदा

Transliteration

dhanayakṣāduttarasmindigbhāge saṃsthitaṃ dvija | vasiṣṭhakuṇḍaṃ vikhyātaṃ sarvapāpāpahaṃ sadā

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജാ! ധനാധിപൻ (കുബേരൻ) അധിഷ്ഠിതമായ ഉത്തരദിക്കിൽ പ്രശസ്തമായ വസിഷ്ഠകുണ്ഡം സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നു; അത് സദാ എല്ലാ പാപങ്ങളും അകറ്റുന്നു.

Word by Word

• धनयक्षात्: from Dhanayakṣa (Kubera)
• धनयक्षात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक) + यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; समासः—धनस्य यक्षः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘धनयक्ष’ (कुबेर)

• उत्तरस्मिन्: in the northern
• उत्तरस्मिन्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘दिग्भागे’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• दिग्भागे: in the region of the direction (quarter)
• दिग्भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—दिशः भागः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• संस्थितम्: situated
• संस्थितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संस्थित (कृदन्त, √स्था with सम्-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) = ‘स्थित/स्थितम्’

• द्विज: O twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• वसिष्ठकुण्डम्: the Vasiṣṭha pond
• वसिष्ठकुण्डम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—वसिष्ठस्य कुण्डम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• विख्यातम्: renowned
• विख्यातम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विख्यात (कृदन्त, √ख्या with वि-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) = ‘प्रसिद्ध’

• सर्वपापापहम्: remover of all sins
• सर्वपापापहम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + अपह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—सर्वेषां पापानाम् अपहः/अपहरणम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vasiṣṭha-kuṇḍa

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dwijā (addressed: ‘O brāhmaṇa’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene sacred pond labeled Vasiṣṭha-kuṇḍa in the northern quarter; pilgrims bathe while a brāhmaṇa guide points northward under Kubera’s auspicious guardianship.

Characters & Entities

• Kubera
• Vasiṣṭha
• Vasiṣṭha-kuṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places in Ayodhyā are presented as powerful means of purification, capable of removing sin through contact and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vasiṣṭha-kuṇḍa in Ayodhyā, located in the northern quarter associated with Kubera.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, visiting and bathing at Vasiṣṭha-kuṇḍa for sin-removal (expanded explicitly in following verses).