Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा च ललिता तीर्थे ललितां प्रणिपत्य वै । लभेत्सर्वत्र लालित्यं यद्वा तद्वाऽनुलप्य च

Transliteration

snātvā ca lalitā tīrthe lalitāṃ praṇipatya vai | labhetsarvatra lālityaṃ yadvā tadvā'nulapya ca

Translation

在拉利塔圣地沐浴，并向拉利塔顶礼者，处处得优雅与美善；又随心以虔敬吐露祈祷之语，福泽更增。

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ललिता: Lalitā (devotee/one named Lalitā)
• ललिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• ललिताम्: Lalitā (the goddess)
• ललिताम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रणिपत्य: having bowed down
• प्रणिपत्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + नि + पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• लभेत्: would obtain / may obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद-रूपेण प्रयोगः

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikaraṇa (scope/location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• लालित्यम्: grace, charm
• लालित्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लालित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Sambandha (correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यद्-शब्दस्य अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः (correlative particle: ‘whatever’)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• तत्: that (whatever)
• तत्: Sambandha (correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तद्-शब्दस्य अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः (correlative: ‘that/whatever then’)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• अनुलप्य: having spoken/uttered accordingly
• अनुलप्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु + लप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lalitā Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni addressed in the surrounding verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn, a pilgrim bathes at Lalitā Tīrtha; after emerging, they fold hands toward Lalitā Devī’s shrine; the devotee’s face becomes serene and radiant, symbolizing ‘lālitya’; petals float on the river.

Characters & Entities

• Lalitā
• Lalitā Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage-actions—bathing, bowing, and heartfelt prayer—transform the devotee through the Goddess’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lalitā Tīrtha in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at Lalitā Tīrtha, praṇāma (prostration) to Lalitā, and devotional utterance/prayer.