Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

पैशाचमोचने तीर्थे संभोज्य शिवयोगिनम् । कोटिभोज्यफलं सम्यगेकैक परिसंख्यया

Transliteration

paiśācamocane tīrthe saṃbhojya śivayoginam | koṭibhojyaphalaṃ samyagekaika parisaṃkhyayā

Translation

ਪੈਸ਼ਾਚਮੋਚਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਿਵ-ਯੋਗੀ ਨੂੰ ਭੋਜਨ ਕਰਵਾਉਣ ਨਾਲ, ਸਹੀ ਰੀਤ ਨਾਲ ਕਰੋੜਾਂ ਅਤਿਥੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਭੋਜਨ ਕਰਵਾਉਣ ਦਾ ਫਲ ਮਿਲਦਾ ਹੈ—ਹਰ ਇਕ ਕਰਮ ਦੀ ਪੁੰਨ-ਗਿਣਤੀ ਐਸੇ ਹੀ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• पैशाचमोचने: at (the) Paiśāca-mocana (tīrtha)
• पैशाचमोचने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पैशाच (प्रातिपदिक) + मोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• तीर्थे: in the sacred place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• संभोज्य: having fed/entertained
• संभोज्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + भुज् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); अर्थः ‘भोजयित्वा/सत्कार्य’ (having fed/entertained)

• शिवयोगिनम्: a Śiva-yogin (devotee/ascetic of Śiva)
• शिवयोगिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• कोटिभोज्यफलम्: the fruit equal to feeding a crore (of people)
• कोटिभोज्यफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + भोज्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; फलवाचक समास

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (properly, fully)

• एकैक: each (one by one)
• एकैक: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण-प्रयोग; अव्ययीभाववत् ‘एकैक’ = ‘प्रत्येकम्’ (each one); रूपं प्रायः अव्ययवत्

• परिसंख्यया: by (proper) counting/enumeration
• परिसंख्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिसंख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/प्रकारवाचक (by enumeration/count)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Paiśācamocana Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the Piśācamocana ghāṭa, a serene Śiva-yogin sits in meditation posture; pilgrims offer a meal with reverence; the merit is visualized as countless lamps or lotuses multiplying outward.

Characters & Entities

• Paiśācamocana Tīrtha (Piśācamocana)
• Śiva-yogin
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving the holy—especially Śiva’s devotees—at a powerful tīrtha magnifies merit beyond ordinary measure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Paiśācamocana/ Piśācamocana Tīrtha in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃbhojana/annadāna: feeding a Śiva-yogin at the tīrtha, said to yield koṭi-bhojya-phala (crore-feeding merit).