Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

संवर्तकाले संप्राप्ते जलराशिर्जलान्यपि । क्षीयंते न क्षयत्यत्र श्राद्धं सोमकुहू कृतम्

Transliteration

saṃvartakāle saṃprāpte jalarāśirjalānyapi | kṣīyaṃte na kṣayatyatra śrāddhaṃ somakuhū kṛtam

Translation

عند مجيء زمن الانحلال الكوني، تنقصُ حتى المحيطاتُ وجميعُ المياه؛ أمّا الشّرادها (śrāddha) التي تُقام هنا في سوما–كوهُو (Soma–Kuhū) فلا تنقص.

Word by Word

• संवर्तकाले: at the time of cosmic dissolution
• संवर्तकाले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃvarta + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (काल-अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (संवर्तस्य कालः)

• संप्राप्ते: when (it) has come; upon arrival
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + prāp (धातु) → saṃprāpta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘when (it) has arrived’—सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (locative absolute nuance)

• जलराशिः: mass of water; ocean
• जलराशिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala + rāśi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (जलस्य राशिः)

• जलानि: waters
• जलानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: ‘also/even’)

• क्षीयन्ते: perish; waste away
• क्षीयन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣī (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• क्षयति: perishes; diminishes
• क्षयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣi (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• श्राद्धम्: Śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सोमकुहू: Soma and Kuhū (the two lunar occasions)
• सोमकुहू: Sambandha (Genitive-relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma + kuhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (कुहू), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (सोमश्च कुहू च)

• कृतम्: done; performed
• कृतम्: Karta (Subject-complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (श्राद्धस्य)

Speaker

Śiva (Devadeva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Soma–Kuhū śrāddha-tīrtha)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Inquirer within the Kāśī-māhātmya dialogue frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic tableau: oceans receding under pralaya imagery while a small luminous Kāśī ghāṭa remains steady; a śrāddha fire-lamp and piṇḍa offerings glow as the only undiminished act amid dissolving waters.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Saṃvarta (dissolution)
• Soma
• Kuhū
• Śrāddha
• Kāpilatīrtha (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit rooted in sacred place, sacred time, and dharma can be described as imperishable—outlasting even cosmic change.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāpilatīrtha in Kāśī, where Soma–Kuhū śrāddha is declared non-decaying.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha at this tīrtha specifically during the Soma–Kuhū conjunction to obtain akṣaya fruit.