Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

स्वर्धुनी दर्शनात्स्पर्शात्स्नानादाचमनादपि । संध्योपासनतो जप्यात्तर्पणाद्देवपूजनात्

Transliteration

svardhunī darśanātsparśātsnānādācamanādapi | saṃdhyopāsanato japyāttarpaṇāddevapūjanāt

Translation

От одного лишь созерцания небесной реки, от прикосновения к ней, от омовения и даже от отпивания её воды; от почитания Сандхьи, от джапы, от тарпаны и от поклонения богам — (в Каши) заслуга непрестанно возрастает.

Word by Word

• स्वर्धुनी: of the heavenly river (Gaṅgā)
• स्वर्धुनी: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्धुनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी? (6) एकवचन/प्रथमा?; अत्र पञ्चमी-सम्बन्धे ‘स्वर्धुनी-दर्शनात्’ इत्यादौ ‘स्वर्धुनी’ सम्बन्ध-निर्देश (of the celestial river, i.e., Gaṅgā)

• दर्शनात्: from (the merit of) seeing
• दर्शनात्: Apadana (Source/Reason/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन

• स्पर्शात्: from touching
• स्पर्शात्: Apadana (Source/Reason/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन

• स्नानात्: from bathing
• स्नानात्: Apadana (Source/Reason/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन

• आचमनात्: from sipping (ritual water)
• आचमनात्: Apadana (Source/Reason/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थ (also/even)

• संध्योपासनतः: from worship at twilight (sandhyā)
• संध्योपासनतः: Apadana (Source/Reason/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्योपासन (प्रातिपदिक; संध्या+उपासन, तत्पुरुष)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; समासः—संध्या-उपासन

• जप्यात्: from recitation (japa)
• जप्यात्: Apadana (Source/Reason/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; जप् धातोः यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; ‘जप्य’ = जपनीयम्/जपकर्म

• तर्पणात्: from libations (tarpaṇa)
• तर्पणात्: Apadana (Source/Reason/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन

• देवपूजनात्: from worship of the gods
• देवपूजनात्: Apadana (Source/Reason/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; समासः—देव-पूजन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svargadhunī (Gaṅgā) in Kāśī

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience seeking practical rite-lists (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence tableau of ritual acts at the ghats: pilgrims seeing Gaṅgā, touching water, bathing, sipping ācamanā; nearby a brāhmaṇa performs sandhyā with arghya; another counts japa beads; tarpaṇa offered to ancestors; small deva-pūjā with flowers and lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā (Svardhunī)
• Sandhyā
• Japa
• Tarpaṇa
• Deva-pūjā
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, even simple engagements with the Gaṅgā and daily rites become potent sources of dharma and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Svardhunī—Gaṅgā in Kāśī—along with the ritual life centered around the river.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gaṅgā-darśana/sparśa/snān/ācaman, Sandhyā worship, japa, tarpaṇa, and deva-pūjan.