Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

वासो भागीरथीतीरे तीर्थे वा मरणं रणे । अपराङ्मुखताऽर्थिभ्यः प्रत्यर्थिभ्यो विशेषतः

Transliteration

vāso bhāgīrathītīre tīrthe vā maraṇaṃ raṇe | aparāṅmukhatā'rthibhyaḥ pratyarthibhyo viśeṣataḥ

Translation

居于婆伽罗提河（Bhāgīrathī）之岸，或在圣洁渡口舍身，或战阵中捐躯；并且对求助者永不背转身——尤其在对敌之时——此皆被称颂为勇德与法（dharma）的标志。

Word by Word

• वासः: dwelling, residence
• वासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भागीरथीतीरे: on the bank of the Bhāgīrathī (Ganga)
• भागीरथीतीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भागीरथी (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘भागीरथ्याः तीरे’

• तीर्थे: at a sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• मरणं: death
• मरणं: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपराङ्मुखता: not turning away; facing (not retreating)
• अपराङ्मुखता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराङ्मुखता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अर्थिभ्यः: to supplicants, petitioners
• अर्थिभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), बहुवचन

• प्रत्यर्थिभ्यः: to opponents
• प्रत्यर्थिभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘प्रत्यर्थिन्’ = opponent/contender

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhāgīrathī/Gaṅgā in Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unspecified

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A heroic devotee stands on the Gaṅgā bank at dawn with Kāśī’s spires behind; he offers help to a supplicant while also depicted as a warrior who does not retreat in battle—two panels or a composite narrative.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā)
• Tīrtha
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred residence and sacred death are praised, along with steadfast courage and generosity toward those who seek refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā) riverbank and the general concept of a tīrtha are praised; within Kāśī-khaṇḍa this aligns with Gaṅgā’s sanctity in and around Vārāṇasī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it highlights pilgrimage-residence (vāsa) and the merit associated with dying at a tīrtha or in righteous battle.