Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

अग्निष्टोमादिभिर्यज्ञैरिष्ट्वा विपुलदक्षिणैः । न तत्फलमवाप्नोति तीर्थभिगमनेन यत्

Transliteration

agniṣṭomādibhiryajñairiṣṭvā vipuladakṣiṇaiḥ | na tatphalamavāpnoti tīrthabhigamanena yat

Translation

แม้ประกอบยัญญะเช่นอัคนิษโฏมะพร้อมทักษิณาอันมาก ก็ยังมิได้ผลเท่าผลที่ได้จากการไปสู่ทีรถะ

Word by Word

• अग्निष्टोमादिभिः: by Agniṣṭoma and other (rites)
• अग्निष्टोमादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निष्टोम + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘अग्निष्टोम-आदि’ = agniṣṭoma etc. (ādi-तत्पुरुष)

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• इष्ट्वा: having performed (sacrifice)
• इष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘having sacrificed/performed worship’

• विपुलदक्षिणैः: with abundant fees (dakṣiṇās)
• विपुलदक्षिणैः: Karana (Accompaniment/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल + दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक ‘दक्षिणा’ (fee), तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘विपुला दक्षिणा’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (correlative ‘that’)

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• अवाप्नोति: obtains
• अवाप्नोति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• तीर्थभिगमनेन: by visiting a tīrtha
• तीर्थभिगमनेन: Karana (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + अभिगमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘तीर्थस्य अभिगमनम्’

• यत्: which (fruit)
• यत्: Karma (Object in relative clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun) ‘which/that which’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī and tīrthas generally (tīrtha-abhigamana)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split scene: on one side a grand Agniṣṭoma with fire altars and priests; on the other a humble pilgrim arriving at a tīrtha—yet the tīrtha side radiates greater divine light.

Characters & Entities

• Agniṣṭoma
• Yajña
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage carries a unique sanctifying power that can surpass even great Vedic sacrifices in spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrthas generally; the act of tīrtha-abhigamana is exalted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Visiting tīrthas is recommended as a potent religious act, contrasted with yajñas like Agniṣṭoma.