Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

महापापांधतमसं किरणाख्या तरंगिणी । ध्वंसयेत्स्नानमात्रेण मिलिता धूतपापया

Transliteration

mahāpāpāṃdhatamasaṃ kiraṇākhyā taraṃgiṇī | dhvaṃsayetsnānamātreṇa militā dhūtapāpayā

Translation

Dòng suối trùng trùng sóng nước mang danh Kiraṇā, khi hợp cùng Dhūtapāpā, chỉ bằng một lần tắm cũng phá tan bóng tối mù lòa của đại tội.

Word by Word

• महापापान्धतमसम्: the blind darkness of great sin
• महापापान्धतमसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-पाप-अन्ध-तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (महापापरूपम् अन्धतमः)

• किरणाख्या: named ‘Kiraṇā’
• किरणाख्या: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किरण-आख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘किरण’ इति आख्या यस्याः (named ‘Kiraṇā’)

• तरङ्गिणी: the river (wave-bearing one)
• तरङ्गिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरङ्गिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ध्वंसयेत्: would destroy
• ध्वंसयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ध्वंस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्/लिङ्-लकार (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान-मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; ‘स्नानस्य मात्रेण’

• मिलिता: being associated (with)
• मिलिता: Karta (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मिलित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (joined/associated)

• धूतपापया: with Dhūtapāpā (the sin-removing one)
• धूतपापया: Sahakari/Instrument (सह/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूतपापा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (सह/करण), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (धूतानि पापानि यस्याः)

Speaker

Skanda (narrative continuation; specific speaker not marked in this verse snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kiraṇā–Dhūtapāpā Sangama

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer (traditional frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two streams meet—Kiraṇā, sparkling like sun-rays on water, and Dhūtapāpā, deep and purifying; pilgrims bathe as the ‘darkness’ of sin is shown as a shadow dissolving into light.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Kiraṇā (stream)
• Dhūtapāpā (tīrtha/stream)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a true tīrtha, purity is not merely symbolic—divine geography supports inner transformation and the removal of deep moral darkness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The confluence/association of the Kiraṇā stream with Dhūtapāpā in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing): bathing alone is said to grant pāpa-kṣaya (destruction of sins).