Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

ततो नागेश्वरं तीर्थं महाघपरिशोधनम् । तत्तीर्थमज्जनादेव भवेत्सर्वाघसंक्षयः

Transliteration

tato nāgeśvaraṃ tīrthaṃ mahāghapariśodhanam | tattīrthamajjanādeva bhavetsarvāghasaṃkṣayaḥ

Translation

ତତ୍ପରେ ନାଗେଶ୍ୱର ତୀର୍ଥ ଅଛି, ଯାହା ମହାପାପକୁ ଶୋଧନ କରେ। ସେହି ପବିତ୍ର ଜଳରେ କେବଳ ସ୍ନାନ କଲେ ସମସ୍ତ ପାପର କ୍ଷୟ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = Indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: अनन्तरम् (thereafter)

• nāgeśvaram: Nāgeśvara (name)
• nāgeśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāgeśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन = Neuter, Accusative singular

• tīrtham: sacred ford/pilgrimage spot
• tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन = Neuter, Accusative singular

• mahāghapariśodhanam: purifier of great sins
• mahāghapariśodhanam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + agha + pariśodhana (प्रातिपदिक); pari-√śudh (धातु) + lyuṭ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (tīrtham इति) = Neuter Accusative singular adjective; समासः: महाघस्य परिशोधनम् (of great sin, purification)

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र समासपूर्वपदम् (tattīrtha-) = Neuter singular demonstrative used as determiner

• tīrtha: pilgrimage spot
• tīrtha: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र समासपूर्वपदम् (tattīrtha-) = Neuter singular (in compound)

• majjanāt: from bathing/immersion
• majjanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: majjana (प्रातिपदिक); √maj (धातु) + lyuṭ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन = Neuter, Ablative singular; हेतौ (as cause)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) = Indeclinable particle; अवधारणे (emphasis: indeed/only)

• bhavet: would be/occurs
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन = Optative 3rd sg; परस्मैपदम्

• sarvāghasaṃkṣayaḥ: destruction of all sins
• sarvāghasaṃkṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + agha + saṃkṣaya (प्रातिपदिक); saṃ-√kṣi (धातु) + ac (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन = Masculine, Nominative singular; समासः: सर्वेषाम् अघानाम् संक्षयः (destruction of all sins)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgeśvara Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim approaches a small sacred water-spot marked by a Nāga emblem and Śaiva signs; he immerses with folded hands while priests chant; the atmosphere is quiet, purifying, and inward.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Nāgeśvara Tīrtha
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s tīrthas are portrayed as powerful instruments of purification, capable of dissolving even heavy moral burdens.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāgeśvara Tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Majjana/snānā—immersion in the waters of Nāgeśvara Tīrtha.