Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

चैत्रशुक्लतृतीयायां कार्या यात्रा प्रयत्नतः । महामहोत्सवः कार्यो निशि जागरणं तथा

Transliteration

caitraśuklatṛtīyāyāṃ kāryā yātrā prayatnataḥ | mahāmahotsavaḥ kāryo niśi jāgaraṇaṃ tathā

Translation

في اليوم القمري الثالث من النصف المضيء من شهر تشيترا (Caitra)، ينبغي القيام بموكب الحج باجتهاد وعناية؛ ويُقام مهرجان عظيم، وتُراعى كذلك سَهَرةُ السهر ليلًا.

Word by Word

• चैत्र-शुक्ल-तृतीयायाम्: on the third (tithi) of the bright fortnight of Caitra
• चैत्र-शुक्ल-तृतीयायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + तृतीया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (चैत्रस्य शुक्लपक्षस्य तृतीया)

• कार्या: should be done
• कार्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) से कार्य (कृदन्त; तव्यत्/यत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; ‘to be done/should be done’

• यात्रा: procession/journey (ritual outing)
• यात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort, diligently
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) = with effort/earnestly

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

• कार्यः: should be performed
• कार्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) से कार्य (कृदन्त; तव्यत्/यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; ‘should be done’

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

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

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण = likewise/also

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Citraghaṇṭā-yātrā (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand procession in Kāśī on Caitra śukla tṛtīyā: palanquin or banner of Citraghaṇṭā, lamps, devotees singing; at night, a vigil with rows of dīpas along ghats.

Characters & Entities

• Caitra-śukla-tṛtīyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (tithi) amplifies sacred place (Kāśī); disciplined festival observance turns pilgrimage into concentrated merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, through its calendrical sacred observance on Caitra-śukla-tṛtīyā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform a yātrā (procession/pilgrimage), celebrate a mahotsava (grand festival), and keep night vigil (jāgaraṇa).