Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

व्यासेश्वरः प्रयत्नेन द्रष्टव्यः काशिवासिभिः । घंटाकर्णकृतस्नानैः क्षेत्रपातकभीरुभिः

Transliteration

vyāseśvaraḥ prayatnena draṣṭavyaḥ kāśivāsibhiḥ | ghaṃṭākarṇakṛtasnānaiḥ kṣetrapātakabhīrubhiḥ

Translation

காசியில் வாழ்பவர்கள், க்ஷேத்திரப் பாவங்களுக்கு அஞ்சி, கந்தாகர்ணத் தீர்த்தத்தில் நீராடியவர்கள், முயற்சியுடன் வ்யாசேஸ்வர (லிங்க) தரிசனம் அவசியம் செய்ய வேண்டும்।

Word by Word

• व्यासेश्वरः: Vyāseśvara (Lord of Vyāsa)
• व्यासेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (व्यासस्य ईश्वरः)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/उपायार्थे

• द्रष्टव्यः: is to be seen / should be visited
• द्रष्टव्यः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → द्रष्टव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्-प्रत्ययः, gerundive/obligative), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणरूपेण (is to be seen)

• काशिवासिभिः: by the residents of Kāśī
• काशिवासिभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (काश्यां वासिनः)

• घंटाकर्णकृतस्नानैः: by those whose bath was performed at Ghaṇṭākarṇa (tīrtha)
• घंटाकर्णकृतस्नानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घंटाकर्ण + कृत + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः (घंटाकर्णे कृतं स्नानं येषां तैः) — बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास-समाहारः

• क्षेत्रपातकभीरुभिः: by those afraid of sins (incurred) in the sacred field
• क्षेत्रपातकभीरुभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षेत्र + पातक + भीरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (क्षेत्रे पातकेभ्यः भीरवः) विशेषणम् (काशिवासिभिः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative mode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vyāseśvara; Ghaṇṭākarṇa-snānīya (associated tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśī-māhātmya audience (sages/pilgrims)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims of Kāśī, freshly bathed at the Ghaṇṭākarṇa tīrtha, approach the Vyāseśvara liṅga with folded hands, carrying water-vessels and bilva leaves; temple bells and riverine ambience frame the act of darśana.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāseśvara
• Kāśī
• Ghaṇṭākarṇa (tīrtha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Earnest pilgrimage and Śiva-darśana in Kāśī are praised as a means to overcome fear of sin and seek purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vyāseśvara in Kāśī is the focus, with Ghaṇṭākarṇa-tīrtha mentioned as a purifying bathing place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Ghaṇṭākarṇa and purposeful darśana (visitation) of Vyāseśvara.