Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

नेत्रयोरतिथीकृत्य ज्ञानवापी कलावती । कदंबकुसुमाकारां बभार क्षणतस्तनुम्

Transliteration

netrayoratithīkṛtya jñānavāpī kalāvatī | kadaṃbakusumākārāṃ babhāra kṣaṇatastanum

Translation

Như thể tiếp đãi đôi mắt nàng như thượng khách, Jñānavāpī khiến Kalāvatī trong khoảnh khắc mang thân hình tựa hoa kadamba—mềm mại và rạng ngời.

Word by Word

• नेत्रयोः: of the two eyes
• नेत्रयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), द्विवचन; ‘of (her) two eyes’

• अतिथीकृत्य: having received/treated (as a guest)
• अतिथीकृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अतिथि + कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; ‘अतिथिं कृत्वा’ (having treated as a guest)

• ज्ञानवापी: Jñānavāpī
• ज्ञानवापी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान + वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• कलावती: Kalāvatī
• कलावती: Samana-adhikarana (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलावती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समानाधिकरण (apposition with ज्ञानवापी)

• कदम्बकुसुमाकाराम्: having the shape of a kadamba flower
• कदम्बकुसुमाकाराम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कदम्ब + कुसुम + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कदम्बकुसुमस्य आकारः यस्याः सा)

• बभार: bore, assumed
• बभार: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• क्षणतः: in an instant
• क्षणतः: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘from/within a moment’

• तनुम्: body, form
• तनुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñānavāpī

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Jñānavāpī is envisioned as a gracious hostess welcoming Kalāvatī’s eyes; in a flash, Kalāvatī’s body becomes kadamba-blossom-like—golden, delicate, fragrant in appearance—signifying tīrtha-born transfiguration.

Characters & Entities

• Jñānavāpī
• Kalāvatī
• Kadamba flower
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s grace is experiential and transformative; sincere encounter with a sacred site can change one’s embodied and inner state.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñānavāpī, depicted as actively bestowing a transformative, auspicious experience.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse focuses on the immediate effect of beholding/encountering the tīrtha.