Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

असीसंभेदमारभ्य गंगातीरस्थिता द्विजाः । आसंगमेश्वरात्तत्र परिप्राप्ता घटोद्भव

Transliteration

asīsaṃbhedamārabhya gaṃgātīrasthitā dvijāḥ | āsaṃgameśvarāttatra pariprāptā ghaṭodbhava

Translation

เริ่มแต่จุดบรรจบแห่งแม่น้ำอสี เหล่าทวิชะผู้พำนักตามฝั่งคงคาได้มาถึงที่นั่นจากอาสังคเมศวร—โอ้ท่านผู้บังเกิดจากหม้อ (อคัสตยะ)

Word by Word

• असीसम्भेदम्: the confluence/meeting of the Asī (river)
• असीसम्भेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असी + सम्भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अस्याः/असीनद्याः सम्भेदः)

• आरभ्य: starting from
• आरभ्य: Adhikarana (Reference point/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + रभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘starting from’

• गङ्गातीरस्थिताः: situated on the bank of the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गातीरस्थिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गङ्गातीर + स्थित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गातीरॆ स्थिताः)

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

• आसङ्गमेश्वरात्: from Āsaṅgameśvara
• आसङ्गमेश्वरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसङ्गमेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (आ-सङ्गमः यस्य/आसङ्गमे ईश्वरः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• परिप्राप्ताः: having arrived
• परिप्राप्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तरि—‘having arrived’

• घटोद्भव: O Pot-born one (Agastya)
• घटोद्भव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घट + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘घटात् उद्भवः यस्य’ (अगस्त्य-ऋषिः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; addressing Agastya as ghaṭodbhava)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Asī-saṅgama (Asī-saṃbheda); Āsaṅgameśvara

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Ghaṭodbhava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn on the Gaṅgā, the Asī stream meets the main river near stepped ghāṭs; brāhmaṇas line the bank with prayer gestures; a small shrine of Āsaṅgameśvara stands near the confluence; the narrator addresses Agastya (‘ghaṭodbhava’).

Characters & Entities

• Asī-saṅgama (Asi confluence)
• Gaṅgā
• Āsaṅgameśvara
• Agastya (Ghaṭodbhava)
• Dvijas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is mapped as a chain of sacred nodes along the Gaṅgā; moving through them is itself a devotional pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Asī-saṅgama (often identified with the Assi confluence area) and Āsaṅgameśvara on the Gaṅgā’s bank in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse situates pilgrims geographically along the Gaṅgā and tīrtha-route.