Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

अशोकतीर्थं तत्रैव ततोप्यतितरां शुभम् । यत्र स्नातो नरो जातु नापतेच्छोकसागरे

Transliteration

aśokatīrthaṃ tatraiva tatopyatitarāṃ śubham | yatra snāto naro jātu nāpatecchokasāgare

Translation

وہیں اشوک تیرتھ ہے، اس سے بھی بڑھ کر نہایت مبارک۔ جو انسان وہاں اشنان کرے وہ کبھی بھی غم کے سمندر میں نہیں گرتا۔

Word by Word

• अशोकतीर्थम्: the Aśoka sacred ford (tīrtha)
• अशोकतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशोक-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; अशोक + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular)

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• ततः: from that; then
• ततः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादानार्थक/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (ablatival/sequential adverb: 'from that/then')

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (additive particle: 'also/even')

• अतितराम्: exceedingly/very much
• अतितराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतितर (प्रातिपदिक; तरप्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत् (Feminine, Accusative, Singular; used adverbially: 'exceedingly')

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshya (Qualified noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (relative locative adverb: 'where')

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नात (कृदन्त; √स्ना (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; past participle: 'having bathed')

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• जातु: ever
• जातु: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जातु (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal particle: 'ever/at any time')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• आपतेत्: would fall into
• आपतेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Optative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• शोकसागरे: in the ocean of sorrow
• शोकसागरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोक-सागर (प्रातिपदिक; शोक + सागर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśoka-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpāṅgaja / nṛpa (a prince/king addressed in the passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim descends stone steps into a calm tīrtha pool/river-edge in Kāśī; the atmosphere is cooling and consoling, with priests holding waterpots and bilva leaves; the pilgrim’s face shifts from grief to serenity.

Characters & Entities

• Aśoka-tīrtha
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s tīrthas are portrayed as transforming inner suffering; sacred bathing symbolizes release from grief through dharma and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aśoka-tīrtha, a sacred bathing place in Kāśī praised for removing sorrow.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Aśoka-tīrtha, presented as the key act yielding freedom from grief.