Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

कृते क्षीरमयं तीर्थं त्रेतायां मधुमत्पुनः । द्वापरे सर्पिषा पूर्णं कलौ जलमयं भवेत्

Transliteration

kṛte kṣīramayaṃ tīrthaṃ tretāyāṃ madhumatpunaḥ | dvāpare sarpiṣā pūrṇaṃ kalau jalamayaṃ bhavet

Translation

在Kṛta纪元，此圣渡本性如乳；至Tretā纪元，又如蜜甘；在Dvāpara纪元，充满酥油；而到Kali纪元，则化为水之形。

Word by Word

• कृते: in the Kṛta (age)
• कृते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; युगनाम (Kṛta-yuga)

• क्षीरमयम्: made of milk
• क्षीरमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षीर-मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘क्षीरस्य मयः’ (made of milk) इति तत्पुरुष; विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

• तीर्थम्: the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; वाक्ये कर्तृ/कर्म-स्थाने (ellipsis)

• त्रेतायाम्: in the Tretā (age)
• त्रेतायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; युगनाम (Tretā-yuga)

• मधुमत्: honey-like / containing honey
• मधुमत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधु-मत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘मधु + मतुप्’ (possessing honey) विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

• पुनः: again/then
• पुनः: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/क्रमसूचक-अव्यय (again/then)

• द्वापरे: in the Dvāpara (age)
• द्वापरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; युगनाम (Dvāpāra-yuga)

• सर्पिषा: with ghee
• सर्पिषा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्पिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पूर्णम्: full
• पूर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

• कलौ: in the Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; युगनाम (Kali-yuga)

• जलमयम्: made of water
• जलमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल-मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘जलस्य मयः’ (made of water) इति तत्पुरुष; विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

• भवेत्: would be / becomes
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vṛṣadhvaja-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pitṛs / audience of Kāśī-māhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-panel vision of the same Kāśī ford across yugas: flowing milk in Kṛta, honey in Tretā, ghee in Dvāpara, and clear water in Kali, with the tīrtha’s sanctity constant and divine presence implied.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣadhvaja Tīrtha
• Kṛta Yuga
• Tretā Yuga
• Dvāpara Yuga
• Kali Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s glory is timeless; even as yugas change, the sacred power remains, expressed through symbolic purity and nourishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the māhātmya of the same tīrtha in context—Vṛṣadhvaja Tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse offers a yuga-based sacred description to intensify श्रद्धा (faith) in tīrtha-sevā and snāna.