Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 120

Devanagari script

एषा मत्स्योदरी रम्या यत्स्नातो मानवोत्तमः । मातुर्जातूदरदरीं न विशेदेष निश्चयः

Transliteration

eṣā matsyodarī ramyā yatsnāto mānavottamaḥ | māturjātūdaradarīṃ na viśedeṣa niścayaḥ

Translation

Tīrtha yang menawan ini ialah ‘Matsyodarī’; insan terbaik yang mandi suci di sini tidak akan memasuki belahan rahim ibu lagi—itulah kepastian.

Word by Word

• एषा: this
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मत्स्य-उदरी: (the river) having a fish-like belly/curve
• मत्स्य-उदरी: Viśeṣya (Appositional epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उदरिन्/उदरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (मत्स्य-उदरं यस्याः सा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रम्या: beautiful
• रम्या: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (एषा/सरित्)

• यत्: where/by which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (by which/wherein)

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (of implied action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नात (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (one) having bathed

• मानव-उत्तमः: the best of men
• मानव-उत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मानवानाम् उत्तमः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मातुः: of the mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जातु: ever
• जातु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जातु (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक निपात (ever/at any time)

• उदर-दरीम्: the belly-cave/womb-cavity
• उदर-दरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदर (प्रातिपदिक) + दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (उदरस्य दरी); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• विशेत्: should enter
• विशेत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+विश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एषः: this
• एषः: Viśeṣya (Subject of nominal clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निश्चयः: certainty/decision
• निश्चयः: Predicate nominative (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Matsyodarī

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene bathing spot named Matsyodarī—clear steps to the water, pilgrims entering with folded hands; the narration emphasizes the certainty of freedom from re-entering the mother’s womb.

Characters & Entities

• Matsyodarī Tīrtha
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s tīrthas are described as liberation-giving; bathing with faith is linked to release from the cycle of rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Matsyodarī tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Matsyodarī is implied as the means to attain the stated fruit (freedom from re-entry into the womb).