Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

ज्ञानवाप्याः पुरोभागे विद्धि मां ज्ञानमाधवम् । तत्र मां भक्तितोभ्यर्च्य ज्ञानं प्राप्नोति शाश्वतम्

Transliteration

jñānavāpyāḥ purobhāge viddhi māṃ jñānamādhavam | tatra māṃ bhaktitobhyarcya jñānaṃ prāpnoti śāśvatam

Translation

جان لو کہ گیان واپی کے اگلے حصے میں میں گیان مادھو ہوں۔ وہاں بھکتی سے میری ارچنا کرنے والا ابدی روحانی گیان حاصل کرتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• ज्ञानवाप्याः: of the Jñāna-vāpī (well of knowledge)
• ज्ञानवाप्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—ज्ञानस्य वापी (Genitive singular)

• पुरोभागे: in the front area
• पुरोभागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—पुरः भागः (in the front part)

• विद्धि: know (recognize)
• विद्धि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (know!)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ज्ञानमाधवम्: Jñāna-Mādhava
• ज्ञानमाधवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—ज्ञानरूपः माधवः/ज्ञानः माधवः (Accusative singular)

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

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भक्तितः: with devotion
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘from/through devotion’

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (having worshipped)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• शाश्वतम्: eternal
• शाश्वतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies ज्ञानम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñāna-vāpī (with Jñāna-Mādhava)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims within Kāśī-māhātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred well (vāpī) with stone steps; before it stands Jñāna-Mādhava’s icon. A devotee offers lamp and flowers; luminous script-like rays symbolize ‘everlasting knowledge’ descending into the heart.

Characters & Entities

• Jñāna-vāpī
• Jñāna-Mādhava
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti at a sanctified Kāśī locus is presented as a means to stable, enduring jñāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñāna-vāpī and the nearby presence of the deity Jñāna-Mādhava.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhyarcana—devotional worship offered at the spot near Jñāna-vāpī.