Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

तार्क्ष्यवीक्षणमात्रेण फणिनौ निर्विषा यथा । निष्प्रभाणि तथेनांसि भागीरथ्यवलोकनात्

Transliteration

tārkṣyavīkṣaṇamātreṇa phaṇinau nirviṣā yathā | niṣprabhāṇi tathenāṃsi bhāgīrathyavalokanāt

Translation

ดุจงูทั้งหลายกลายเป็นไร้พิษเพียงเพราะสายตาแห่งครุฑฉายต้อง ฉันนั้นบาปทั้งปวงก็สิ้นฤทธิ์สิ้นรัศมีด้วยเพียงได้เห็นภาคีรถี

Word by Word

• तार्क्ष्यवीक्षणमात्रेण: by the mere sight of Garuḍa
• तार्क्ष्यवीक्षणमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वीक्षण (विक्ष् धातु, ल्युट्) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तार्क्ष्य-वीक्षण (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘of Garuḍa’s seeing’) + मात्र (अवधारणार्थ: ‘mere’)

• फणिनौ: the two serpents
• फणिनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन (Dual)

• निर्विषाः: become venomless
• निर्विषाः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्- + विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन (Dual) (पदपाठे ‘निर्विषौ’ अपेक्षितम्; छन्दो/पाठभेदेन ‘निर्विषाः’); विशेषणम्

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (comparative: ‘as’)

• निष्प्रभाणि: lusterless
• निष्प्रभाणि: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निस्- + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम्

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner: ‘so/likewise’)

• एनांसि: sins
• एनांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भागीरथ्यवलोकनात्: from (by) beholding Bhāgīrathī (Ganga)
• भागीरथ्यवलोकनात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भागीरथी (प्रातिपदिक) + अवलोकन (अव-लोक् धातु, ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—भागीरथी-अवलोकन (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘viewing of Bhāgīrathī’)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhāgīrathī/Gaṅgā (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-scene metaphor: Garuḍa’s fierce glance renders cobras harmless; parallel scene shows a pilgrim merely beholding the Gaṅgā, while dark ‘sin’ shadows fade and lose sheen.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā)
• Tārkṣya (Garuḍa)
• Serpents (phaṇin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana (sacred sight) of Gaṅgā itself is purificatory; sin is weakened simply by beholding her.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhāgīrathī/Gaṅgā—especially as seen in the sacred landscape of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (seeing) of Gaṅgā is implicitly recommended as a purifying act.