Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

एतेषां वार्षिकी यात्रा सुमहोत्सवपूर्वकम् । कार्या मुमुक्षुभिः सम्यक्क्षेत्रसंसिद्धिदायिनी

Transliteration

eteṣāṃ vārṣikī yātrā sumahotsavapūrvakam | kāryā mumukṣubhiḥ samyakkṣetrasaṃsiddhidāyinī

Translation

ينبغي أن تُؤدَّى حجّتهم السنوية مسبوقةً باحتفال عظيم؛ وعلى طالبي الموكشا أن يقوموا بها على الوجه القويم، لأنها تمنح تمام الكمال الروحي في الحقل المقدّس كاشي.

Word by Word

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

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

• सुमहोत्सवपूर्वकम्: preceded by a very great festival
• सुमहोत्सवपूर्वकम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + महोत्सव + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative: 'with/preceded by')

• कार्या: should be performed
• कार्या: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate: 'should be done')

• मुमुक्षुभिः: by seekers of liberation
• मुमुक्षुभिः: Karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्तृ-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुमुक्षु (प्रातिपदिक; desiderative-noun from √मुच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सम्यक्: properly, well
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• क्षेत्रसंसिद्धिदायिनी: granting the accomplishment (benefit) of the sacred field
• क्षेत्रसंसिद्धिदायिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षेत्र + संसिद्धि + दायिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'यात्रा')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārṣikī Caturdaśa Mahāliṅga-yātrā (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mumukṣu-oriented audience (seekers of liberation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand Kāśī festival procession: devotees carry lamps and flags, musicians lead, and the route threads through ghāṭas and lanes connecting the fourteen liṅgas; the city glows with dīpas, and the Ganga reflects the celebration—yet the central mood remains mumukṣu-focused (austere joy).

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Yātrā
• Mahotsava
• Mumukṣu
• Kṣetra-saṃsiddhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage done with devotion and communal celebration becomes a potent means to attain spiritual fruition in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as the kṣetra, specifically through the annual circuit of its fourteen great Liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An annual yātrā accompanied by a major festival (mahotsava), especially recommended for mumukṣus (liberation-seekers).