Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

स्नातं बहुषु तीर्थेषु मंत्रा जप्तास्तु कोटिशः । देवताः सेविता बह्व्यो हवनं च कृतं बहु

Transliteration

snātaṃ bahuṣu tīrtheṣu maṃtrā japtāstu koṭiśaḥ | devatāḥ sevitā bahvyo havanaṃ ca kṛtaṃ bahu

Translation

“我曾在无数圣地渡口（tīrtha）沐浴；我诵念真言（mantra）多至千万。亦曾奉事诸多神祇，并屡次行火供（havan）。”

Word by Word

• स्नातम्: bathed
• स्नातम्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थे (impersonal/passive sense: 'bathing has been done')

• बहुषु: in many
• बहुषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थेषु)

• तीर्थेषु: in sacred places
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), बहुवचन

• मन्त्राः: mantras
• मन्त्राः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन

• जप्ताः: were recited
• जप्ताः: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जप् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि (passive: 'were recited')

• तु: indeed / and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis particle)

• कोटिशः: millions of times
• कोटिशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'by crores, millions of times')

• देवताः: deities
• देवताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन

• सेविताः: were worshipped
• सेविताः: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सेव् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि (passive: 'were served/worshipped')

• बह्व्यः: many
• बह्व्यः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बह्वी (प्रातिपदिक; स्त्री-रूप of बहु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (देवताः—अर्थतः 'many')

• हवनम्: fire-offering
• हवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कृतम्: was done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि (passive: 'was done')

• बहु: much / many
• बहु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: 'much')

Speaker

Damana

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Multiple tīrthas (unspecified) culminating in Kāśī’s frame

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A montage-like depiction: the pilgrim bathing at various river fords, counting japa beads, tending a small sacred fire, offering oblations, and saluting diverse deities—yet with a subtle sense of ‘still seeking’.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Mantra-japa
• Devatā
• Havana/Homa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage, japa, and homa are powerful disciplines, yet they are presented as steps that must mature into deeper realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse mentions ‘many tīrthas’ generally; within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame, Kāśī stands as the culminating sacred geography for liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at tīrthas, mantra-japa (koṭiśaḥ), devatā-sevā, and havana/homa are explicitly mentioned.