Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

मधौमासि रवेर्वारे यात्रा सांवत्सरी भवेत् । अशोकैस्तत्र संपूज्य कुंडे स्नात्वा विधानतः

Transliteration

madhaumāsi ravervāre yātrā sāṃvatsarī bhavet | aśokaistatra saṃpūjya kuṃḍe snātvā vidhānataḥ

Translation

في شهر مَدْهُو (الربيع)، في يوم الأحد، تصير شعيرة الحجّ ذاتَ أجرٍ كأجر سنة؛ وهناك يُتعبَّد بزهور الأَشُوكَا ويُغتسل في الكُنْدَة وفق السنّة.

Word by Word

• मधौ: in Madhu (month)
• मधौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; मासवाचक (Madhu month)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• रवेः: of the Sun / of Sunday
• रवेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• वारे: on the day
• वारे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; दिवसवाचक

• यात्रा: pilgrimage
• यात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सांवत्सरी: annual
• सांवत्सरी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सांवत्सरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (annual)

• भवेत्: should be/becomes
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अशोकैः: with aśoka (flowers/leaves)
• अशोकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संपूज्य: having duly worshipped
• संपूज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकर्म (having worshipped)

• कुंडे: in the pond/tank
• कुंडे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund); पूर्वकर्म (having bathed)

• विधानतः: according to the prescribed rite
• विधानतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधानतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: according to rule/rite)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sāmbāditya-kuṇḍa (implied by context)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A springtime (Madhu-māsa) Kāśī scene: devotees on a Sunday carrying aśoka blossoms, performing Sūrya worship, then descending into a small sacred kuṇḍa for ritual bathing.

Characters & Entities

• Madhu-māsa
• Ravivāra
• Aśoka (flowers)
• Kuṇḍa (Sāmbakuṇḍa implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Properly timed pilgrimage, combined with orderly worship and tīrtha bathing, is celebrated as a concentrated form of long-term religious practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kuṇḍa referenced is within the Sāmbāditya/Sāmbakuṇḍa setting in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

On a Sunday in Madhu-māsa: worship using aśoka flowers, and bathe in the kuṇḍa following proper vidhi.