Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

क्षीरोदाद्दक्षिणेभागे तीर्थं शंखाख्यनुत्तमम् । तत्र स्नातो भवेन्नूनं नाशंखादिनिधेः पतिः

Transliteration

kṣīrodāddakṣiṇebhāge tīrthaṃ śaṃkhākhyanuttamam | tatra snāto bhavennūnaṃ nāśaṃkhādinidheḥ patiḥ

Translation

க்ஷீரோதத்தின் தெற்கு பகுதியில் ‘சங்கு’ எனப்படும் ஒப்பற்ற தீர்த்தம் உள்ளது; அங்கே நீராடுபவன் நிச்சயமாக சங்கு முதலிய நிதிகளின் அதிபதியாகிறான்.

Word by Word

• क्षीरोदात्: from Kṣīroda (the Milk-ocean)
• क्षीरोदात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक) + उद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (क्षीरः उदः यस्य/क्षीरमय उदः) = ‘क्षीरोद’

• दक्षिणेभागे: in the southern part
• दक्षिणेभागे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दक्षिणः भागः)

• तीर्थम्: a tīrtha
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शंखाख्यनुत्तमम्: supremely excellent, called ‘Śaṅkha’
• शंखाख्यनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंख (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (आ+ख्या-धातु, क्त; कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिकवत्) + अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘शंखाख्यम्’ (शंख इति आख्यं) + ‘अनुत्तमम्’ (श्रेष्ठतमम्)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + क्त-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘स्नानं कृतवान्’

• भवेत्: would become / may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक (particle of certainty)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अशंखादिनिधेः: of the treasure of non-conches etc. (i.e., of a treasure excluding conches, etc.)
• अशंखादिनिधेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (नञ्-प्रत्यय) + शंख (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासः—नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (अशंखः) + ‘आदि’ समाहारसूचक + तत्पुरुषः (…निधिः)

• पतिः: lord, master
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkha-tīrtha

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A southern-side tīrtha with a prominent conch motif carved in stone; a bather steps into the water as attendants hold a white conch and a treasure-casket symbolically; the atmosphere suggests auspiciousness and abundance.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣīroda/Kṣīrābdhi
• Śaṅkha tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī tīrthas bestow both worldly well-being and spiritual uplift; dharmic acts can harmonize prosperity with pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkha-named tīrtha, located to the south of the Kṣīroda/Kṣīrābdhi tīrtha-zone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Śaṅkha tīrtha, with a stated fruit of lordship over treasures.