Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

दिलीपतीर्थं सुश्रेष्ठं सद्यः पापहरं परम् । ततः सगरतीर्थं च सगरेश समीपतः

Transliteration

dilīpatīrthaṃ suśreṣṭhaṃ sadyaḥ pāpaharaṃ param | tataḥ sagaratīrthaṃ ca sagareśa samīpataḥ

Translation

ਦਿਲੀਪ ਤੀਰਥ ਅਤਿ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ ਹੈ—ਸਰਵੋਤਮ ਅਤੇ ਤੁਰੰਤ ਪਾਪਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਨਾਸ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਾ। ਉਸ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਸਗਰ ਤੀਰਥ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਸਗਰੇਸ਼ ਦੇ ਨੇੜੇ ਸਥਿਤ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• दिलीपतीर्थम्: Dilīpa-tīrtha
• दिलीपतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिलीप-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — “Dilīpa-tīrtha”; समासः तत्पुरुष (नाम-समास)

• सुश्रेष्ठम्: most excellent
• सुश्रेष्ठम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्) “very excellent” (सु- उपसर्ग/उपपद)

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक adverb) — “immediately”

• पापहरम्: sin-removing
• पापहरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्) “sin-removing”; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुष (पापं हरति)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्) “supreme”

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Apadana/Sequence (Ablatival adverb/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपादान/क्रमवाचक) — “then/from there”

• सगरतीर्थम्: Sagara-tīrtha
• सगरतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सगर-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — “Sagara-tīrtha”; समासः तत्पुरुष (नाम-समास)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• सगरेश: of Sagareśa
• सगरेश: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सगर-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — “of Sagareśa”; समासः तत्पुरुष (सगरस्य ईशः)

• समीपतः: near
• समीपतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त) — “near/by” (from vicinity)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dilīpa Tīrtha; Sagara Tīrtha (near Sagareśa)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A clean, bright water-spot labeled Dilīpa Tīrtha where pilgrims bathe; then a short walk to another water-site (Sagara Tīrtha) adjacent to a Śiva-liṅga temple (Sagareśa) with bilva leaves and lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Dilīpa Tīrtha
• Sagara Tīrtha
• Sagareśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s tīrthas are praised as swift purifiers, linking sacred bathing to ethical-spiritual renewal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dilīpa Tīrtha (as foremost), followed by Sagara Tīrtha near Sagareśa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit snāna/visitation of the tīrthas, emphasized by the claim of immediate pāpa-kṣaya (sin removal).