Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

ज्ञानोदतीर्थसंस्पर्शादश्वमेधफलं लभेत् । स्पर्शनाचमनाभ्यां च राजसूयाश्वमेधयोः

Transliteration

jñānodatīrthasaṃsparśādaśvamedhaphalaṃ labhet | sparśanācamanābhyāṃ ca rājasūyāśvamedhayoḥ

Translation

ज्ञानोद तीर्थाचा केवळ स्पर्श केल्याने अश्वमेध यज्ञाचे फळ मिळते. आणि त्याचा स्पर्श व आचमन केल्याने राजसूय व अश्वमेध—दोन्हींचे फळ प्राप्त होते.

Word by Word

• ज्ञानोदतीर्थसंस्पर्शात्: from the contact with Jñānoda-tīrtha
• ज्ञानोदतीर्थसंस्पर्शात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानोद-तीर्थ-संस्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक; ज्ञानोद + तीर्थ + संस्पर्श)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ज्ञानोदस्य तीर्थस्य संस्पर्शः)

• अश्वमेधफलम्: the fruit of the Aśvamedha (sacrifice)
• अश्वमेधफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध-फल (प्रातिपदिक; अश्वमेध + फल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अश्वमेधस्य फलम्)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्पर्शन: by (the act of) touching
• स्पर्शन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्शन (प्रातिपदिक; √स्पृश् + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (स्पर्शनात् = स्पर्शनेन/स्पर्शनात्)

• आचमनाभ्याम्: and by (the act of) sipping (water)
• आचमनाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचमन (प्रातिपदिक; आ + √चम्/चमू? + ल्युट्, ‘sipping water’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• राजसूयाश्वमेधयोः: of the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha (sacrifices)
• राजसूयाश्वमेधयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजसूय-अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक; राजसूय + अश्वमेध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; समासः—इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñānoda-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (typical Purāṇic frame) / or a Kāśī-māhātmya interlocutor within the khanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a serene Kāśī ford labeled ‘Jñānoda’, gently touching the water and performing ācamana; in the background, symbolic visions of Aśvamedha and Rājasūya altars dissolve into the river’s radiance, indicating equivalence of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Jñānoda Tīrtha
• Aśvamedha
• Rājasūya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s tīrthas are portrayed as so potent that simple acts like touch and ācamana can bestow the merit of grand Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñānoda Tīrtha (also connected with Jñānatīrtha) within the sacred geography of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sparśana (touching the tīrtha) and ācamana (ritually sipping its water).