Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

षष्ठ्यष्टम्योर्वसेत्पापं तैले मांसे सदैव हि । पंचदश्यां चतुर्दश्यां तथैव च भगेक्षुरे

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭhyaṣṭamyorvasetpāpaṃ taile māṃse sadaiva hi | paṃcadaśyāṃ caturdaśyāṃ tathaiva ca bhagekṣure

Translation

في اليومين القمريين السادس والثامن يُقال إن الإثم يقيم حقًّا في الزيت واللحم؛ وكذلك في اليومين الرابع عشر والخامس عشر، وكذلك في الانغماس في اللذة الجنسية.

Word by Word

• षष्ठी-अष्टम्योः: on the sixth and eighth (tithis)
• षष्ठी-अष्टम्योः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (समाहार/इतरेतर)

• वसेत्: should dwell/abide
• वसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचन

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• तैले: in oil
• तैले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• मांसे: in meat
• मांसे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम्

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (emphatic particle)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपातः

• पञ्चदश्याम्: on the fifteenth (tithi)
• पञ्चदश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम्

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपातः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• भगेक्षुरे: in/at Bhagekṣura (a place/name)
• भगेक्षुरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भग (प्रातिपदिक) + इक्षुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; देश/वस्तुवाचक-समासपदम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/householders seeking rules of conduct

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calendar-like sacred-time tableau: a pilgrim declines meat and oil offerings on specified lunar days, choosing fruits, milk, and ghee-lamp worship; a subtle moon-phase motif frames the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Tithi (lunar days): Ṣaṣṭhī, Aṣṭamī, Caturdaśī, Pañcadaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain lunar days call for heightened restraint; self-control protects purity and dharmic merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rule appears in Kāśī-khaṇḍa, reflecting the disciplined vrata-culture associated with Kashi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observe tithi-based restraint: avoid oil and meat on Ṣaṣṭhī/Aṣṭamī, and practice sexual restraint especially around Caturdaśī/Pañcadaśī.