Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

तदा पुण्यतमः कालो वाजिमेधफलप्रदः । ह्रद पश्चिम तीरे तु भद्रेश्वर विलोकनात्

Transliteration

tadā puṇyatamaḥ kālo vājimedhaphalapradaḥ | hrada paścima tīre tu bhadreśvara vilokanāt

Translation

అప్పుడు ఆ కాలము పరమ పుణ్యమయమై అశ్వమేధయాగ ఫలమును ప్రసాదిస్తుంది; హ్రదపు పశ్చిమ తీరమున భద్రేశ్వరుని కేవలం దర్శించుటవలననే అటువంటి పుణ్యం కలుగుతుంది।

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'then')

• पुण्यतमः: most meritorious
• पुण्यतमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तमप्-प्रत्ययान्त (superlative) विशेषण

• कालः: time/occasion
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वाजिमेधफलप्रदः: granting the fruit of the Aśvamedha
• वाजिमेधफलप्रदः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाजिमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वाजिमेधस्य फलम्) + उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (फलप्रदः = फलस्य प्रदाता)

• ह्रदे: at the lake
• ह्रदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• पश्चिम: western
• पश्चिम: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; दिक्शब्द-विशेषण (directional)

• तीरे: on the bank
• तीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis/contrast)

• भद्रेश्वर: Bhadreśvara (name of Śiva)
• भद्रेश्वर: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (भद्रः ईश्वरः)

• विलोकनात्: from seeing/at the sight of
• विलोकनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि√लोक् (धातु) + अन (प्रत्यय) → विलोकन (कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम (action noun)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhadreśvara (western bank of the hrada)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A sage (muni) / assembly of ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene lake (hrada) at dawn; on its western bank stands a Śiva-liṅga shrine of Bhadreśvara. Pilgrims approach with folded hands; the atmosphere suggests a rare auspicious moment conferring yajña-like merit through mere beholding.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Bhadreśvara
• Hrada (sacred lake/pond)
• Aśvamedha (Vājimedha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-darśana at a sanctified place in Kāśī can confer extraordinary merit, even likened to great Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The western bank of a sacred hrada (lake/pond) where Bhadreśvara is to be seen in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (beholding) of Bhadreśvara at the specified bank; the verse emphasizes seeing rather than a detailed rite.