Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

तीर्थं खर्वनृसिंहाख्यं तीर्थाद्भरवतः पुरः । तत्र स्नातस्य वै पुंसः कुतोघजनितं भयम्

Transliteration

tīrthaṃ kharvanṛsiṃhākhyaṃ tīrthādbharavataḥ puraḥ | tatra snātasya vai puṃsaḥ kutoghajanitaṃ bhayam

Translation

भैरव तीर्थाच्या समोर ‘खर्व-नृसिंह’ नावाचे तीर्थ आहे. तेथे स्नान केलेल्या पुरुषाला पापातून उत्पन्न होणारे भय कसे राहील?

Word by Word

• tīrtham: a tīrtha
• tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र विधेयवाक्ये द्वितीया (निर्देश) = Neuter singular (as item being described)

• kharvanṛsiṃhākhyam: called Kharva-Nṛsiṃha
• kharvanṛsiṃhākhyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kharva + nṛsiṃha + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (tīrtham) = Neuter Accusative singular; समासः: खर्वनृसिंह इति आख्यम् (named ‘Kharva-Nṛsiṃha’)

• tīrthāt: from the tīrtha
• tīrthāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन = Neuter, Ablative singular

• bharavataḥ: of Bharavata/Bhairava (gen.)
• bharavataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharavata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन = Masculine, Genitive singular; पाठभेदसम्भवः: 'bhairavataḥ' (of Bhairava) इति; अत्र IAST अनुसार 'bharavataḥ'

• puraḥ: in front of
• puraḥ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puras (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) = Indeclinable adverb; पुरतः (in front of)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) = Indeclinable adverb of place (there)

• snātasya: of one who has bathed
• snātasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snāta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक); √snā (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन = Masculine, Genitive singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्तः; विशेषणम् (puṃsaḥ)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) = Emphatic particle

• puṃsaḥ: of a man
• puṃsaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन = Masculine, Genitive singular

• kutaḥ: whence/how (could there be)
• kutaḥ: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक) = Interrogative indeclinable; कुतः (whence/how)

• oghajanitam: caused by a mass/flood
• oghajanitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ogha + janita (प्रातिपदिक); √jan (धातु) + ita/ta (क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (bhayam) = Neuter singular adjective; समासः: ओघेन जनितम् (produced by a flood/mass)

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन = Neuter, Nominative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kharva-Nṛsiṃha Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small tīrtha before Bhairava’s area; a compact (kharva) Nṛsiṃha emblem/shrine stands nearby; pilgrims bathe and look up with relief as fear leaves their faces.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kharva-Nṛsiṃha Tīrtha
• Nṛsiṃha
• Bhairava Tīrtha
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is not only moral but psychological: when pāpa is dissolved, fear rooted in guilt and impurity also falls away.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kharva-Nṛsiṃha Tīrtha, located in front of (near) Bhairava Tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at Kharva-Nṛsiṃha Tīrtha.