Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ज्येष्ठे मासि सिताष्टम्यां तत्र कार्यो महोत्सवः । रात्रौ जागरणं कार्यं सर्वसंपत्समृद्धये

Transliteration

jyeṣṭhe māsi sitāṣṭamyāṃ tatra kāryo mahotsavaḥ | rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ kāryaṃ sarvasaṃpatsamṛddhaye

Translation

في شهر جييشثا (Jyeṣṭha)، في اليوم القمري الثامن من النصف المضيء، ينبغي أن يُقام هناك عيدٌ عظيم. وفي الليل تُؤدَّى سَهرةُ اليقظة التعبدية لتزدهر كلُّ البركات والرخاء.

Word by Word

• ज्येष्ठे: in (the month of) Jyeṣṭha
• ज्येष्ठे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; (मास-विशेषणरूपेण)

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

• सिता: bright (fortnight)
• सिता: Adhikarana (Time qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; (अष्टमी-विशेषणम्)

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (lunar day)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• कार्यः: should be done; is to be performed
• कार्यः: Karta (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त; √कृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भविष्यत्कृदन्त (यत्), विधेय/कर्तव्य-अर्थः ('to be done')

• महोत्सवः: a great festival
• महोत्सवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् उत्सवः)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• जागरणम्: keeping vigil; wakefulness
• जागरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• कार्यम्: is to be done
• कार्यम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त; √कृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भविष्यत्कृदन्त (यत्), विधेय/कर्तव्य-अर्थः

• सर्वसंपत्समृद्धये: for the prosperity of all wealth
• सर्वसंपत्समृद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + संपत् + समृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; समासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वासां संपदां समृद्धिः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa context, Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jyeṣṭheśvara (with Jyeṣṭhā-Gaurī)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand festival at the shrine: decorated mandapa, garlands, lamps, musicians; through the night devotees keep vigil with singing and circumambulation, the liṅga and Devī shrine glowing in lamplight.

Characters & Entities

• Jyeṣṭha month
• Śukla Aṣṭamī
• Jyeṣṭheśvara/Jyeṣṭhasthāna (implied)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (tithi and month) amplifies sacred place; disciplined vigil and celebration are framed as dharmic prosperity-makers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Jyeṣṭhasthāna/Jyeṣṭheśvara area in Kāśī, where the festival is to be observed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hold a mahotsava on Jyeṣṭha śukla aṣṭamī and observe night-long jāgaraṇa.