Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

उदयं तं न चेक्षेत नास्तं यंतं न मध्यगम् । न राहुणोपसृष्टं च नांबुसंस्थं दिवाकरम्

Transliteration

udayaṃ taṃ na cekṣeta nāstaṃ yaṃtaṃ na madhyagam | na rāhuṇopasṛṣṭaṃ ca nāṃbusaṃsthaṃ divākaram

Translation

সূর্যের উদয়কালে, অস্তকালে ও মধ্যাহ্নে তার দিকে তাকানো উচিত নয়। রাহুগ্রস্ত (গ্রহণকালে) সূর্যকেও নয়, এবং জলে প্রতিফলিত সূর্যকেও নয়।

Word by Word

• उदयम्: rising (time)
• उदयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• तम्: him/that (sun)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (दिवाकरम् प्रति)

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः

• ईक्षेत: should look at
• ईक्षेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपातः

• अस्तम्: setting (time)
• अस्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; (अस्तं गमनम्/अस्तकालः)

• यन्तम्: going (setting)
• यन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; (दिवाकरम् विशेषयति)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपातः

• मध्यगम्: being in mid-sky (at zenith)
• मध्यगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य + ग (धातु/गम्-आधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘मध्यं गतः’ इति क्त-प्रत्ययान्त/गतम्-भावार्थः (दिवाकरम् विशेषयति)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपातः

• राहुणा: by Rāhu
• राहुणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• उपसृष्टम्: seized/afflicted (eclipsed)
• उपसृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-√सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; (दिवाकरम् विशेषयति)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपातः

• अम्बु-संस्थम्: situated in water (reflected in water)
• अम्बु-संस्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्थ (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘अम्बुनि संस्थः’ इति; (दिवाकरम् विशेषयति)

• दिवाकरम्: the sun
• दिवाकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवा + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Gaṅgā-ghāṭs)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/householders learning ghāṭ-ācāra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ghāṭ scene where a devotee performs arghya at twilight with eyes lowered; above, the Sun is shown at different positions—rising, setting, zenith—and an eclipse vignette with Rāhu’s shadow; water reflection motif warns against gazing.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (Divākara)
• Rāhu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes bodily and ritual discipline—respecting cosmic transitions and avoiding inauspicious gazes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

While not naming a tirtha in the verse, the instruction is embedded in Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s sacred lifestyle code.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid looking at the Sun at sunrise, sunset, zenith, during eclipse, or as a reflection in water.