Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ज्येष्ठेशाद्दक्षिणे भागे लिंगमप्सरसां शुभम् । तत्रैवाप्सरसः कूपः सौभाग्योदकसंज्ञकः

Transliteration

jyeṣṭheśāddakṣiṇe bhāge liṃgamapsarasāṃ śubham | tatraivāpsarasaḥ kūpaḥ saubhāgyodakasaṃjñakaḥ

Translation

在阇耶什提耶湿伐罗（Jyeṣṭheśvara）之南，有一尊吉祥的林伽，名为阿普萨拉塞湿伐罗（Apsaraseśvara），即“天女之主”。其处亦有天女之井，称作娑乌婆吉约达迦（Saubhāgyodaka）——“福运之水”。

Word by Word

• ज्येष्ठेशात्: from Jyeṣṭheśa
• ज्येष्ठेशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठेश (प्रातिपदिक: ज्येष्ठ + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• दक्षिणे: southern
• दक्षिणे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘भागे’)

• भागे: in the region/part
• भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: a liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• अप्सरसाम्: of the Apsarases
• अप्सरसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘लिङ्गम्’)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place: ‘there’)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: emphasis ‘indeed/just’)

• अप्सरसः: of an Apsaras
• अप्सरसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• कूपः: a well
• कूपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• सौभाग्य-उदक-संज्ञकः: named ‘Saubhāgyodaka’
• सौभाग्य-उदक-संज्ञकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘कूपः’); ‘सौभाग्य-उदक’ इति नाम यस्य (named ‘Saubhāgyodaka’)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Apsaraseśvara and Saubhāgyodaka (Apsaras-kūpa)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vātāpitāpana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A southern-side shrine of Apsaraseśvara beside a well named Saubhāgyodaka; subtle presence of celestial apsarases as the mythic aura of the place.

Characters & Entities

• Jyeṣṭheśvara
• Apsaraseśvara
• Apsaras
• Saubhāgyodaka (Apsarasaḥ Kūpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s holiness is expressed through both shrine (liṅga) and water-source (kūpa); auspiciousness is accessed through darśana and tīrtha-water.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Apsaraseśvara liṅga and the Apsarasaḥ Kūpa called Saubhāgyodaka, located south of Jyeṣṭheśvara in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly recommends visiting the liṅga and approaching the well whose water is praised as bestowing good fortune.