Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

नेत्रयोरतिथीकृत्य ज्ञानवापी कलावती । कदंबकुसुमाकारां बभार क्षणतस्तनुम्

Transliteration

netrayoratithīkṛtya jñānavāpī kalāvatī | kadaṃbakusumākārāṃ babhāra kṣaṇatastanum

Translation

智井（Jñānavāpī）仿佛以她的双眼为上宾相迎，使迦罗伐蒂顷刻间得一身如迦檀婆花般的形体——光耀而柔妙，因圣渡处（tīrtha）之力而化。

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.