Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

हरिश्चंद्रस्य तीर्थे तु यच्छ्रेयः समुपार्जितम् । तदक्षयफलं वीर इह लोके परत्र च

Transliteration

hariścaṃdrasya tīrthe tu yacchreyaḥ samupārjitam | tadakṣayaphalaṃ vīra iha loke paratra ca

Translation

ହେ ବୀର! ହରିଶ୍ଚନ୍ଦ୍ରଙ୍କ ତୀର୍ଥରେ ଯେ ପୁଣ୍ୟ ଉପାର୍ଜିତ ହୁଏ, ତାହାର ଫଳ ଅକ୍ଷୟ—ଇହଲୋକରେ ଓ ପରଲୋକରେ ମଧ୍ୟ।

Word by Word

• हरिश्चन्द्रस्य: of Hariścandra
• हरिश्चन्द्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिश्चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तीर्थे: in the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: अवधान/विरोधसूचक (particle ‘indeed/but’)

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Karma/Predicate nominal (relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• श्रेयः: merit, welfare, the good
• श्रेयः: Karma/Predicate nominal
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• समुपार्जितम्: acquired, earned
• समुपार्जितम्: Kriya-visheshana (qualifier of result)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उप+आर्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta/Predicate nominal (that)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• अक्षयफलम्: imperishable fruit/result
• अक्षयफलम्: Predicate nominal (complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अक्षयस्य फलम्)

• वीर: O hero
• वीर: Sambodhana (address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (context/place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• परत्र: in the hereafter
• परत्र: Adhikarana (context)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक (adverb ‘in the other world/thereafter’)

• च: and
• च: Conjunction
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hariścandra-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed as ‘vīra’ (hero/pilgrim) within the narrative voice

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator-sage addresses a ‘vīra’ (hero/pilgrim) while pointing toward the tīrtha; a symbolic scale shows merit flowing into both earthly prosperity and a luminous afterlife path.

Characters & Entities

• Hariścandra
• Harīścandra-tīrtha
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit earned at a true tīrtha is not temporary; it matures as enduring benefit across worldly life and afterlife.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Harīścandra-tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse broadly praises earning śreyas (merit) at the tīrtha—typically through snāna, japa, and worship—without specifying a single act.