Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सद्यः प्रक्षालको वा स्यादथवा माससंचयी । त्रिषड्द्वादशमासान्नफलमूलादिसंग्रही

Transliteration

sadyaḥ prakṣālako vā syādathavā māsasaṃcayī | triṣaḍdvādaśamāsānnaphalamūlādisaṃgrahī

Translation

وله أن يكون ممن يجمع القوت ويستعمله في اليوم نفسه، أو ممن يدّخر لشهر؛ أو يجمع مؤونة من الحبوب والثمار والجذور ونحوها لثلاثة أشهر أو ستة أو اثني عشر شهرًا.

Word by Word

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• प्रक्षालकः: one who washes/cleans (immediately)
• प्रक्षालकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र-क्षल् (धातु) + ण्वुल्/अक (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय, agent noun)
• Form: कर्तरि कृदन्त (agent noun), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

• स्यात्: may be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or else)

• माससंचयी: one who stores for a month
• माससंचयी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक) + संचयी (चि धातु + णिनि/ई, कृदन्त-प्राय)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—मासस्य संचयी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• त्रिषड्द्वादशमास: (for) three, six, or twelve months
• त्रिषड्द्वादशमास: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + षट् (संख्या) + द्वादश (संख्या) + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याद्वन्द्व-समासः (त्रि-षट्-द्वादश) + मास; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying संग्रही)

• अन्नफलमूलादि: food, fruits, roots, and the like
• अन्नफलमूलादि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न + फल + मूल + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समुच्चय-समासः; (food, fruits, roots, etc.) प्रातिपदिक-समूह; समासपूर्वपद; (समस्तपदं संग्रही इत्यनेन सम्बद्धम्)

• संग्रही: collector/storer (of food etc.)
• संग्रही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्-ग्रह् (धातु) + णिनि/ई (कृदन्त, agent noun)
• Form: कर्तरि कृदन्त (agent noun), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—अन्नफलमूलादेः संग्रही (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence-like depiction: the same ascetic shown in three panels—gathering and eating the same day; storing a small monthly jar; arranging bundles for 3/6/12 months—each with the Ganga and ghats constant behind him.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Modes of subsistence

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity is adaptable but regulated: one may follow stricter or looser storage practices while remaining within dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is directly named; the teaching appears in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s ethical-ritual instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Permissible modes of collecting/storing food for a vānaprastha: same-day use, monthly storage, or 3/6/12-month collection.