Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा वासुकिहृदात्सहस्राणि दशैव तु । तथैवाष्टशतं द्रष्टुं जानकीकुंडतो द्विजाः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā vāsukihṛdātsahasrāṇi daśaiva tu | tathaivāṣṭaśataṃ draṣṭuṃ jānakīkuṃḍato dvijāḥ

Translation

จากวาสุกิ-หรทะมีพราหมณ์มาหนึ่งหมื่น; และจากชานกี-กุณฑะก็มีทวิชะมาถึงแปดร้อย—ล้วนมุ่งหมายจะได้เฝ้าดูพระผู้เป็นเจ้า

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वासुकिहृदात्: from Vāsuki’s lake
• वासुकिहृदात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुकिह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वासुकेः ह्रदः)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (संख्यावाचक)

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः; (सहस्राणि इत्यस्य) विशेषणम्

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis)

• तु: but/and
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (concessive/contrast particle)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: in the same way)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• अष्टशतम्: eight hundred
• अष्टशतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (अष्ट शतानि = 800)

• द्रष्टुम्: to see
• द्रष्टुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्तम्, infinitive; अर्थः—दर्शनार्थम् (to see)

• जानकीकुण्डतः: from Jānakī-kuṇḍa
• जानकीकुण्डतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानकीकुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जानक्याः कुण्डम्)

• द्विजाः: twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ब्राह्मणपर्यायः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vāsuki-hrada; Jānakī-kuṇḍa

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (general frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast assembly of brāhmaṇas emerging from a lotus-filled hrada dedicated to Vāsuki, and another group from Jānakī-kuṇḍa, both moving with folded hands toward a Śiva temple; subtle serpent iconography near the water for Vāsuki.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsuki-hrada
• Jānakī-kuṇḍa
• Brāhmaṇas
• Kāśīnātha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of the Lord in Kāśī is portrayed as a supreme aim that draws vast assemblies from many tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vāsuki-hrada and Jānakī-kuṇḍa—Kāśī-associated sacred waters linked with pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies pilgrimage for darśana; it does not specify snāna, dāna, or japa here.