Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

तेनार्च्यः करुणावृक्षो देवेशः प्रीयतामिति । यो वर्षं सोमवारस्य व्रतं कुर्यादिति द्विजः

Transliteration

tenārcyaḥ karuṇāvṛkṣo deveśaḥ prīyatāmiti | yo varṣaṃ somavārasya vrataṃ kuryāditi dvijaḥ

Translation

সেই নিবেদনসমূহে কৰুণাবৃক্ষক অৰ্চনা কৰিব লাগে, এই প্ৰাৰ্থনা কৰি—‘দেৱেশ্বৰ প্ৰসন্ন হওক।’ এজন দ্বিজ (ব্ৰাহ্মণ) ক’লে, যি কোনোবাই এক বছৰ সোমবাৰৰ ব্ৰত পালন কৰে…

Word by Word

• तेन: by that/therefore
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण-निर्देश (by that/therefore)

• अर्च्यः: to be worshipped
• अर्च्यः: Karya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्च् (धातु) → अर्च्य (कृदन्त, क्तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कर्तव्य/योग्यता-वाचक (gerundive: ‘to be worshipped’); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• करुणावृक्षः: the Karuṇā-tree
• करुणावृक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करुणा (प्रातिपदिक) + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (करुणायाः वृक्षः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• देवेशः: Lord of gods
• देवेशः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानाम् ईशः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• प्रीयताम्: may (he) be pleased
• प्रीयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive sense), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आज्ञार्थ/आशीर्वादार्थ

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति-निपात (quotative particle)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-यः

• वर्षम्: for a year
• वर्षम्: Adhikarana (Temporal extent/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कालावधि (accusative of duration)

• सोमवारस्य: of Monday
• सोमवारस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमवार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of Monday)

• व्रतम्: vow/observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative)

• द्विजः: a twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Karuṇeśvara / Karuṇā-vṛkṣa (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred Karuṇā tree beside a small shrine; a brāhmaṇa instructs pilgrims; devotees circle the tree, offer leaves/fruits, and pray ‘Devēśaḥ prīyatām’.

Characters & Entities

• Karuṇā-vṛkṣa (sacred tree)
• Deveśa (Śiva)
• Somavāra-vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion in Kāśī extends beyond the Liṅga to the sacred ecology around it; sustained vrata practice is framed as a powerful path of pleasing Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Karuṇeśvara complex, including the Karuṇā-vṛkṣa (sacred tree) associated with the site in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform worship of the Karuṇā tree with the prescribed offerings and observe a Somavāra (Monday) vow for a year (continued into the next verse).