Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा मंदाकिनी तीर्थे द्रष्टव्यो मध्यमेश्वरः । पश्येद्धिरण्यगर्भेशं तत्र तीर्थे कृतोदकः

Transliteration

snātvā maṃdākinī tīrthe draṣṭavyo madhyameśvaraḥ | paśyeddhiraṇyagarbheśaṃ tatra tīrthe kṛtodakaḥ

Translation

మందాకినీ తీర్థంలో స్నానం చేసి మధ్యమేశ్వరుని దర్శించాలి। అక్కడే ఆ తీర్థంలో ఉదకక్రియ చేసి హిరణ్యగర్భేశ్వరుని దర్శించాలి।

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: snā (धातु) + क्त्वा → snātvā (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• मंदाकिनी: (at) Mandākinī
• मंदाकिनी: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mandākinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — ‘तीर्थे’ इत्यस्य विशेषण/सम्बन्ध (locative singular; at Mandākinī)

• तीर्थे: at the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (neuter, locative, singular)

• द्रष्टव्यः: is to be seen
• द्रष्टव्यः: Vidhi (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + tavya → draṣṭavya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विधेय (masculine, nominative, singular; gerundive)

• मध्यमेश्वरः: Madhyameśvara
• मध्यमेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhyama (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (madhyamasya īśvaraḥ)

• पश्येत्: should see
• पश्येत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ्-अर्थे, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (should see)

• हिरण्यगर्भेशम्: Hiraṇyagarbheśa
• हिरण्यगर्भेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇyagarbha (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (hiraṇyagarbhasya īśaḥ)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative adverb/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• तीर्थे: at the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (neuter, locative, singular)

• कृतोदकः: having performed the water-rite/ablution
• कृतोदकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः ‘कृतम् उदकम् यस्य’ इति बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रयोगः (masculine, nominative, singular; ‘one who has performed the water-rite/ablution’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mandākinī tīrtha (Kāśī)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stepped kunda/tīrtha named Mandākinī with lotus blooms; a pilgrim finishes snāna, then offers water with cupped hands; nearby, two shrines—Madhyameśvara at the center of a small courtyard and Hiraṇyagarbheśa with a subtle golden aura suggesting ‘hiraṇya’ (golden womb).

Characters & Entities

• Mandākinī Tīrtha
• Madhyameśvara
• Hiraṇyagarbheśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s tīrthas sanctify the pilgrim through bathing, offerings, and successive darśanas of Śiva’s many forms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mandākinī tīrtha, together with the shrines of Madhyameśvara and Hiraṇyagarbheśa in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe at Mandākinī tīrtha, see Madhyameśvara; then perform udaka-rite and see Hiraṇyagarbheśa.