Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

यत्र वै स्नानमात्रेण गजदानफलं लभेत् । कोकावराहतीर्थं च पुण्यदं गजतीर्थतः

Transliteration

yatra vai snānamātreṇa gajadānaphalaṃ labhet | kokāvarāhatīrthaṃ ca puṇyadaṃ gajatīrthataḥ

Translation

ఎక్కడ కేవలం స్నానమాత్రంతోనే గజదానఫల సమానమైన పుణ్యం లభించునో, అది కోకావరాహ తీర్థము—మహాపుణ్యప్రదము, గజతీర్థముకన్నా విశిష్టము.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक अव्यय) — locative adverb “where”

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle) — emphasis/indeed

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान-मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — instrumental “by mere bathing”; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्रायः (मात्रं स्नानस्य)

• गजदानफलम्: the merit-fruit of gifting an elephant
• गजदानफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज-दान-फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — “the fruit of elephant-gift”; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दानस्य फलम्; गजदानस्य फलम्)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — “would obtain”

• कोकावराहतीर्थम्: Kokāvarāha sacred ford
• कोकावराहतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोका-वराह-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — “Kokāvarāha-tīrtha”; समासः तत्पुरुष (नाम-समास)

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

• पुण्यदम्: merit-giving
• पुण्यदम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य-द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — विशेषणम् (तीर्थम् implied) “merit-giving”; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुष (पुण्यं ददाति)

• गजतीर्थतः: from/than Gaja-tīrtha
• गजतीर्थतः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — ablative “from/than Gaja-tīrtha”; समासः तत्पुरुष (नाम-समास)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kokāvarāha Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a small sacred ford/pond in Kāśī, bathing with folded hands; nearby a shrine iconography of Varāha (boar) associated with ‘Kokāvarāha’; priests and lamps; the idea of ‘elephant-gift merit’ suggested by a ceremonial elephant motif in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Kokāvarāha Tīrtha
• Gaja Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, sincere bathing at a praised tīrtha can yield immense merit, equaling even great acts of charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kokāvarāha Tīrtha, said to grant merit exceeding Gaja-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing), whose fruit is compared to gaja-dāna (donation of an elephant).