Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

यज्ञवाराहतीर्थं च ततो दक्षिणतः शुभम् । यत्र स्नातस्य वै पुंसां राजसूयफलं ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

yajñavārāhatīrthaṃ ca tato dakṣiṇataḥ śubham | yatra snātasya vai puṃsāṃ rājasūyaphalaṃ dhruvam

Translation

त्याच्या दक्षिणेस शुभ यज्ञ-वाराहतीर्थ आहे. जिथे स्नान करणाऱ्या पुरुषाला राजसूय यज्ञाचे फळ निःसंशय प्राप्त होते.

Word by Word

• yajña-vārāha-tīrtham: the Yajña-Vārāha tīrtha
• yajña-vārāha-tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + vārāha (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सम्बन्ध-निर्देश): ‘yajña-vārāhasya tīrtham’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण: ‘then’

• dakṣiṇataḥ: to the south
• dakṣiṇataḥ: Adhikarana (Direction/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dakṣiṇatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, दिशावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (directional adverb): ‘to the south/southwards’

• śubham: auspicious
• śubham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying tīrtham understood)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सम्बन्धबोधक/देशवाचक (relative adverb): ‘where’

• snātasya: of one who has bathed
• snātasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snāta (कृदन्त; √snā स्ना (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त: ‘of one who has bathed’

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphatic particle): ‘indeed’

• puṃsām: of men/people
• puṃsām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṃs (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• rājasūya-phalam: the fruit of the Rājasūya sacrifice
• rājasūya-phalam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājasūya (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘rājasūyasya phalam’

• dhruvam: certain, assured
• dhruvam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying phalam)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yajña-Vārāha-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Varāha icon rises powerfully from waters, holding the earth motif; nearby, a symbolic yajña-kuṇḍa with smoke and offerings; pilgrims bathe at a southern ghāṭ, the city skyline behind.

Characters & Entities

• Yajña-Vārāha-tīrtha
• Vārāha
• Rājasūya
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-sevā can substitute for otherwise difficult royal sacrifices by granting equivalent merit through devotion and purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Yajña-Vārāha-tīrtha, located to the south of the preceding tīrtha sequence in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at Yajña-Vārāha-tīrtha.