Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

ज्ञानोदतीर्थपानीयैर्लिंगं यः स्नापयेत्सुधीः । सर्वतीर्थोदकैस्तेन ध्रुवं संस्नापितं भवेत्

Transliteration

jñānodatīrthapānīyairliṃgaṃ yaḥ snāpayetsudhīḥ | sarvatīrthodakaistena dhruvaṃ saṃsnāpitaṃ bhavet

Translation

جو دانا بھکت گیانودا تیرتھ کے پانی سے شِو لِنگ کو نہلائے، وہ یقیناً تمام تیرتھوں کے جل سے اس کا ابھیشیک کرتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• ज्ञानोदतीर्थपानीयैः: with the water of the Jñānoda-tīrtha
• ज्ञानोदतीर्थपानीयैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान-उद-तीर्थ-पानीय (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: ज्ञान + उदक + तीर्थ + पानीय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/निर्देश-तत्पुरुष (jñānodatīrtha-pānīya = ‘knowledge-water sacred-tirtha water’)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (cause to be bathed)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त-क्रिया ‘to cause to bathe’

• सुधीः: the wise person
• सुधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु + धी = ‘good/intelligent-minded’)

• सर्वतीर्थोदकैः: with the waters of all sacred fords
• सर्वतीर्थोदकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-तीर्थ-उदक (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: सर्व + तीर्थ + उदक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सर्वतीर्थस्य उदकानि)

• तेन: by that (act/means)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; अन्वादेश

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• संस्नापितम्: (is) thoroughly bathed
• संस्नापितम्: Karma (Object-complement/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्ना (धातु) + णिच् + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘having been thoroughly bathed’

• भवेत्: would be / becomes
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñānoda-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wise devotee performs abhiṣeka of a Śiva-liṅga using water drawn from Jñānoda tīrtha; the water is envisioned as containing the essence of all sacred rivers and tīrthas, with subtle visions of Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Sarasvatī and other streams merging into the poured libation.

Characters & Entities

• Jñānoda Tīrtha
• Śiva-liṅga
• Abhiṣeka
• Sarva-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī concentrates the merit of many pilgrimages; devotion performed there is said to equal the fruits of countless tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñānoda Tīrtha, whose water is declared equivalent to all tīrtha waters for worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-snāpana/abhiṣeka using Jñānoda tīrtha water.