Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

क्षणान्निर्धूत पापोसौ न पुनर्गर्भभाग्भवेत । स स्नातः सर्वतीर्थेषु सर्वावभृथवान्स च

Transliteration

kṣaṇānnirdhūta pāposau na punargarbhabhāgbhaveta | sa snātaḥ sarvatīrtheṣu sarvāvabhṛthavānsa ca

Translation

କ୍ଷଣମାତ୍ରେ ତାହାର ପାପ ଝଡ଼ିଯାଏ; ସେ ପୁନଃ ଗର୍ଭଭାଗୀ (ପୁନର୍ଜନ୍ମ) ହୁଏ ନାହିଁ। ସେ ଯେନେ ସମସ୍ତ ତୀର୍ଥରେ ସ୍ନାନ କରିଛି ଓ ସମସ୍ତ ଅବଭୃଥ-ସ୍ନାନ ସମ୍ପନ୍ନ କରିଛି—ଏମିତି ଫଳ ପାଏ।

Word by Word

• kṣaṇāt: in a moment / from a moment
• kṣaṇāt: Apadana (Source/Time-from/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; कालवाचक (ablative of time)

• nirdhūtaḥ: cleansed/washed off
• nirdhūtaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir + dhū (धातु) → nirdhūta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; असौ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• pāpaḥ: sinful (i.e., with sin)
• pāpaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; असौ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (पापवान्)

• asau: that person
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negative particle)

• punar: again
• punar: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक (adverb)

• garbha-bhāk: one who partakes of a womb (i.e., is reborn)
• garbha-bhāk: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: garbha (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāj (धातु) → bhāk (कृदन्त)
• Form: उपपद-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): गर्भस्य भागी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; भवेत् इत्यस्य कर्तृविशेषणम्

• bhavet: would become
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• snātaḥ: bathed
• snātaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snā (धातु) → snāta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; saḥ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• sarva-tīrtheṣu: in all sacred fords/pilgrimage places
• sarva-tīrtheṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: सर्वाणि तीर्थानि; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन

• sarva-avabhṛthavān: having (the merit of) all avabhṛtha baths
• sarva-avabhṛthavān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + avabhṛtha (प्रातिपदिक) + -vat (तद्धित)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: सर्वम् अवभृथम् यस्य; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; saḥ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (general snāna/darśana context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim steps into sacred waters; dark smoke-like ‘sins’ lift off and dissolve instantly into light; behind, a symbolic wheel of rebirth breaks; above, a garland of many tīrthas and avabhṛtha vessels appears as a single radiant aura.

Characters & Entities

• tīrtha
• avabhṛtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with the Kāśī sacred complex grants swift purification and is framed as a direct aid toward freedom from rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks generally of tīrtha-merit in this Kāśī context, implying Kāśī’s rites equal all tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) is highlighted, with its fruit compared to bathing at all tīrthas and performing avabhṛtha.