Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वृषेश्वरादुदीच्यां तु गंधर्वेश्वरसंज्ञितम् । गंधर्वकुण्डं तत्प्राच्यां तत्र स्नात्वा नरोत्तमः

Transliteration

vṛṣeśvarādudīcyāṃ tu gaṃdharveśvarasaṃjñitam | gaṃdharvakuṇḍaṃ tatprācyāṃ tatra snātvā narottamaḥ

Translation

وِرِشیشور کے شمال میں گندھرویشور کے نام سے معروف مقدّس مقام ہے، اور اس کے مشرق میں گندھرو کُنڈ ہے۔ وہاں اشنان کرنے سے اُتم مرد پاک ہو کر اس تِیرتھ کے ستوت فَلوں کا اہل بن جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• वृषेश्वरात्: from Vṛṣeśvara
• वृषेश्वरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• उदीच्याम्: to the north (in the northern direction)
• उदीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle/contrastive)

• गन्धर्वेश्वरसंज्ञितम्: named ‘Gandharveśvara’
• गन्धर्वेश्वरसंज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गन्धर्वेश्वर + संज्ञित (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा/ज्ञा-धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past passive participle)

• गन्धर्वकुण्डम्: the Gandharva-pond
• गन्धर्वकुण्डम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तत्: of that (pond)
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्राच्याम्: to the east (in the eastern direction)
• प्राच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• नरोत्तमः: the best of men
• नरोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandharva-kuṇḍa (at Gandharveśvara)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim approaches a small kuṇḍa east of a liṅga-shrine; the shrine stands amid Kāśī lanes, with subtle celestial musicians (Gandharvas) suggested in the sky; water glints as a purifying medium.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣeśvara
• Gandharveśvara
• Gandharva-kuṇḍa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sanctity is mapped through precise sacred landmarks; approaching them with reverence and bathing at the tīrtha is presented as a direct means of purification and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gandharva-kuṇḍa, located east of Gandharveśvara, north of Vṛṣeśvara in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Gandharva-kuṇḍa.