Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

जनकः शुभतिथ्यादौ विदेशगमनापहम् । षष्ठेऽन्नप्राशनंमासि न कृतं विधिपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

janakaḥ śubhatithyādau videśagamanāpaham | ṣaṣṭhe'nnaprāśanaṃmāsi na kṛtaṃ vidhipūrvakam

Translation

في وقتٍ مبارك—(وهو طقسٌ يُقال إنه يدرأ الارتحال إلى البلاد الأجنبية)—لم يُقم أبوه، مع ذلك، في الشهر السادس شعيرة الإطعام الأول (أنّابرَاشَنَة) على وفق الأصول.

Word by Word

• जनकः: the father
• जनकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शुभतिथ्यादौ: at the beginning on an auspicious lunar day
• शुभतिथ्यादौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ + तिथि + आदौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘शुभायां तिथौ आदौ’ इत्यर्थे (locative)

• विदेशगमनापहम्: that which wards off going abroad
• विदेशगमनापहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विदेश + गमन + अपह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासार्थः—‘विदेशगमनं अपहन्ति’ (removing foreign-travel)

• षष्ठे: in the sixth
• षष्ठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘षष्ठे (मासि)’

• अन्नप्राशनम्: the first-feeding (rice-feeding) rite
• अन्नप्राशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न + प्राशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘अन्नस्य प्राशनम्’)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Kriya-nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• कृतम्: done/performed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘कृतम्’ = ‘was done’

• विधिपूर्वकम्: according to proper procedure
• विधिपूर्वकम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — ‘विधिना पूर्वम्/विधिपूर्वकं’

Speaker

Citragupta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Address includes implied audience; verse itself states ‘janakaḥ’ (father) as actor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A father postpones the annāprāśana: a small bowl of sweetened rice remains untouched; elders look on; the child reaches out, while an astrologer’s almanac lies closed—symbolizing neglected auspicious timing.

Characters & Entities

• Citragupta
• Annaprāśana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Traditional dharma includes careful observance of saṃskāras; omission is treated as spiritually consequential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced; the setting remains within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative world.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The sixth-month annaprāśana (first-feeding) saṃskāra, to be done at an auspicious time, is mentioned as neglected.