Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

तत्राद्यापि महातीर्थं त्रिस्रोतस्यतिनिर्मले । पुण्ये पिलिपिलानाम्नि त्रिसरित्परिसेविते

Transliteration

tatrādyāpi mahātīrthaṃ trisrotasyatinirmale | puṇye pilipilānāmni trisaritparisevite

Translation

Doon, hanggang ngayon, may dakilang tīrtha na lubhang dalisay—ang Trisrotas, ang tagpuan ng tatlong agos—sa banal na pook na tinatawag na Pilipilā, na pinaglilingkuran at pinababanal ng tatlong ilog.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) / Indeclinable adverb of place

• अद्यापि: even today; still
• अद्यापि: Sambandha (Temporal qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; कालवाचक अव्यय / Indeclinable temporal adverb

• महा-तीर्थम्: the great sacred ford/pilgrimage-place
• महा-तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन / Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular

• त्रि-स्रोतस्य: of the three-streamed (place)
• त्रि-स्रोतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + स्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन / Neuter, Genitive singular (qualifying)

• अति-निर्मले: in the exceedingly pure (place)
• अति-निर्मले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन / Neuter, Locative singular (agreeing with implied 'तीर्थे')

• पुण्ये: in the holy (place)
• पुण्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन / Neuter, Locative singular

• पिलिपिल-नाम्नि: in (the place) named Pilipila
• पिलिपिल-नाम्नि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिलिपिल (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन / Neuter, Locative singular

• त्रि-सरित्-परिसेविते: in (the place) frequented/served by three rivers
• त्रि-सरित्-परिसेविते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + सरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + परिसेवित (कृदन्त; √सेव्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन / Past participle, Neuter, Locative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pilipilā (Trisrotas-tīrtha)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous three-stream confluence with clear waters; pilgrims on a sandy/stone ford; distant Kāśī skyline; subtle presence of Śiva’s sanctifying gaze implied by light falling on the water.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied)
• Trisrotas (three-stream confluence)
• Pilipilā (tīrtha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography itself becomes a purifier: certain confluences and river-tīrthas in Kāśī are celebrated as intrinsically merit-giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pilipilā—described as a great tīrtha of the Trisrotas (three-stream confluence) served by three rivers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit act is prescribed in this verse; it introduces the tīrtha’s identity and purity, preparing for bathing/ritual instructions in subsequent verses.