Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

द्विजाः पंचसहस्राणि चरतो विपुलं तपः । दंडखातान्महातीर्थादाजग्मुर्देवदर्शने

Transliteration

dvijāḥ paṃcasahasrāṇi carato vipulaṃ tapaḥ | daṃḍakhātānmahātīrthādājagmurdevadarśane

Translation

Limang libong mga dvija, na nagsasagawa ng saganang tapas, ay nagmula sa dakilang tīrtha na tinatawag na Daṇḍakhāta at dumating upang magtamo ng mapalad na darśana ng Panginoon sa Kāśī.

Word by Word

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

• पञ्चसहस्राणि: five thousand (in number)
• पञ्चसहस्राणि: Visheshana (Quantifier of द्विजाः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक; संख्यावाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural); संख्यावाचक-समास (Dvigu)

• चरन्तः: practising / performing
• चरन्तः: Karta (Participial predicate of द्विजाः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक-कर्तरि-शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (Present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• विपुलम्: great, abundant
• विपुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of तपः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दण्डखातात्: from Daṇḍakhātā (a tīrtha/place)
• दण्डखातात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्डखाता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दण्डस्य खाता)

• महा-तीर्थात्: from the great sacred ford (Mahātīrtha)
• महा-तीर्थात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय (महत्तीरथम्)

• आजग्मुः: came, arrived
• आजग्मुः: Kriya (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• देव-दर्शने: for/at the sight of the gods
• देव-दर्शने: Adhikarana (Locus/Purpose context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां दर्शनम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daṇḍakhāta

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast procession of five thousand dvijas—matted hair, bark garments, waterpots—emerging from a forested ghāṭa-tīrtha (Daṇḍakhāta) and moving toward the luminous skyline of Kāśī, with distant temple spires and Gaṅgā shimmer.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Śiva
• Daṇḍakhāta Mahātīrtha
• Dvijas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity finds its fulfillment in Śiva-darśana; tapas is oriented toward sacred encounter, especially in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Daṇḍakhāta, described as a mahātīrtha, from which devotees come to Kāśī for the Lord’s darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the emphasis is on tapas (austerity) and pilgrimage for darśana.