Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अथातः सत्सुतारासु ताराधिप वराननः । केंद्रे गुरौ शुभे लग्ने सुग्रहेष्वयुगेषु च

Transliteration

athātaḥ satsutārāsu tārādhipa varānanaḥ | keṃdre gurau śubhe lagne sugraheṣvayugeṣu ca

Translation

Darauf, als die glückverheißenden Mondasterismen herrschten und der Mond — Herr der Sterne, schön von Antlitz — zusammen mit Guru (Jupiter) in günstiger Winkelstellung stand, bei heilsamem Aszendenten und wohltätigen Planeten in den ungeraden Teilungen, wurde die Zeit höchst segensreich.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अधिकार/अनन्तरबोधक-अव्यय (particle)

• अतः: thereupon
• अतः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुबोधक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thereafter/thereupon’)

• सत्सुतारासु: among auspicious stars (nakṣatras)
• सत्सुतारासु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + सु- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + तारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः—सत्/सु तारा इति (उत्तम-तारासु)

• ताराधिप: O lord of stars
• ताराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारा (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘ताराणाम् अधिपः’

• वराननः: the one with a beautiful face
• वराननः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘वरम् आननम् यस्य’

• केन्द्रे: in the kendra (angular house)
• केन्द्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• गुरौ: when Jupiter (Guru) is (placed)
• गुरौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• शुभे: in an auspicious
• शुभे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘लग्ने’ इति विशेषणम्

• लग्ने: ascendant
• लग्ने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लग्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सुग्रहेषु: when benefic planets are (present)
• सुग्रहेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु- (पूर्वपद) + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘सु(शुभ) ग्रहाः’

• अयुगेषु: on odd (non-even) ones
• अयुगेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अयुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; ‘(तिथिषु/दिनेषु)’ इति अध्याहारः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night-to-dawn sky over Kāśī with bright Moon near Jupiter, auspicious constellations indicated; below, priests consult a pañcāṅga while preparing for a rite, lamps glowing.

Characters & Entities

• Candra (Moon)
• Guru (Jupiter)
• lagna (ascendant)
• nakṣatra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma values acting in harmony with auspicious cosmic order—choosing favorable times for sacred life-events.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to Kāśī-māhātmya; this verse itself highlights auspicious timing rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It indicates selecting a favorable muhūrta: auspicious nakṣatra, benefic ascendant, and supportive planetary placements (Moon and Jupiter, benefics).