Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

गंगेशोर्च्यस्ततो ज्ञानवाप्यां स्नानं समाचरेत् । नंदिकेशं तारकेशं महाकालेश्वरं ततः

Transliteration

gaṃgeśorcyastato jñānavāpyāṃ snānaṃ samācaret | naṃdikeśaṃ tārakeśaṃ mahākāleśvaraṃ tataḥ

Translation

礼拜恒河主（Gaṅgeśa）之后，应在智泉（Jñānavāpī）中行沐浴之仪。其后礼拜难提主（Nandikeśa）、塔拉克主（Tārakeśa），再礼拜大时主（Mahākāleśvara）。

Word by Word

• गङ्गेशः: Gaṅgeśa
• गङ्गेशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• उर्च्यः: is to be worshipped
• उर्च्यः: Predicate (Vidhi/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/भाव्य), ‘अर्च्यः’ = to be worshipped

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adverbial (Kāla/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• ज्ञानवाप्याम्: in the Jñāna-vāpī (well of knowledge)
• ज्ञानवाप्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान + वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नन्दिकेशम्: Nandikeśa
• नन्दिकेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दि + केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तारकेशम्: Tārakeśa
• तारकेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महाकालेश्वरम्: Mahākāleśvara
• महाकालेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adverbial (Kāla/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (thereafter)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñānavāpī

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Gaṅgeśa shrine the pilgrim offers flowers; then at the stone-lined Jñānavāpī well, the pilgrim performs snāna/ācamana; afterward, small shrines of Nandikeśa and Tārakeśa lead toward a Mahākāleśvara liṅga with flickering lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgeśa
• Jñānavāpī
• Nandikeśa
• Tārakeśa
• Mahākāleśvara
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowledge and liberation in Kāśī are supported by disciplined sacred acts—worship and purifying snāna—performed in a traditional sequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñānavāpī in Kāśī, along with nearby liṅgas such as Gaṅgeśa and Mahākāleśvara, within the Antargṛha pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) in Jñānavāpī after worshiping Gaṅgeśa, followed by arcana to Nandikeśa, Tārakeśa, and Mahākāleśvara.