Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

पूर्वाह्णे दैविकं कर्म सोकरोत्कर्मकांडवित् । मध्यंदिने मनुष्याणां पितॄणामपराह्नके

Transliteration

pūrvāhṇe daivikaṃ karma sokarotkarmakāṃḍavit | madhyaṃdine manuṣyāṇāṃ pitṝṇāmaparāhnake

Translation

Kundig in der rituellen Ordnung vollzog er am Vormittag die göttlichen Handlungen; zur Mittagszeit die Pflichten gegenüber den Menschen; und am Nachmittag die den Ahnen geschuldeten Opfergaben.

Word by Word

• पूर्वाह्णे: in the forenoon
• पूर्वाह्णे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वाह्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचनम्; समासः: पूर्व + अह्न (तत्पुरुष: forenoon)

• दैविकम्: divine/pertaining to gods
• दैविकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैविक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; कर्म विशेषणम्

• कर्म: rite/action
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• अकरोत्: did/performed
• अकरोत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• कर्मकाण्डवित्: knower of ritual procedures
• कर्मकाण्डवित्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्मकाण्ड + विद् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; समासः: कर्मकाण्ड (तत्पुरुष: ritual section) + वित् (knower)

• मध्यंदिने: at midday
• मध्यंदिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्यंदिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; समासः: मध्य + दिन (midday)

• मनुष्याणाम्: of humans
• मनुष्याणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचनम्

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्

• अपराह्नके: in the afternoon
• अपराह्नके: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराह्नक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; समासः: अपर + अह्न (afternoon) + क (taddhita)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych-like day cycle: (1) forenoon homa to devas, (2) midday charity/service to people, (3) afternoon tarpaṇa to pitṛs at a riverbank; Kāśī’s Gaṅgā and ghāṭ steps unify the scenes.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is lived as orderly service—gods, society, and ancestors each receive their rightful time and attention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, such discipline is presented as fitting for life in Kāśī, the city sanctified by Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Time-based allocation of rites: daivika acts in the forenoon, human/social duties at midday, and pitṛ rites in the afternoon.