Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

एवं व्रते कृते काश्यां सदर्शे सोमवासरे । भवेदृणत्रयान्मुक्तो मृगांकमदनुग्रहात्

Transliteration

evaṃ vrate kṛte kāśyāṃ sadarśe somavāsare | bhavedṛṇatrayānmukto mṛgāṃkamadanugrahāt

Translation

So wird, wenn dieses Gelübde in Kāśī an einem Montag der hellen Monatshälfte vollzogen wird, der Mensch von den dreifachen Schulden befreit—durch die gnädige Huld des Mṛgāṅka, des Mondes.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of manner)

• व्रते: in the vow/observance
• व्रते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• कृते: when (it is) done/performed
• कृते: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Participial qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन; ‘व्रते’ इति पदेन सह सापेक्षम्

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• काश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• सदर्शे: on the day of (lunar) conjunction/‘sadarśa’ day
• सदर्शे: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन; ‘सोमवासरे’ इति विशेषणम्

• सोमवासरे: on Monday
• सोमवासरे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative-time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमवासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सोमस्य वासरः)

• भवेत्: would become / would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ऋणत्रयात्: from the three debts
• ऋणत्रयात्: Apādāna (Ablative-source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋणत्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative); एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि ऋणानि)

• मुक्तः: freed, released
• मुक्तः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे विशेषणवत्

• मृगाङ्कमदनुग्रहात्: by/from the favor of the moon-crested one (Śiva)
• मृगाङ्कमदनुग्रहात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगाङ्क-मत् (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मृगाङ्कमतः अनुग्रहः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Somavāra-vrata context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in Kāśī performs a Somavāra vrata in the bright fortnight, offering water and white flowers under moon symbolism, with ghāṭs and temple spires behind; the Moon’s cool grace is shown as a halo dissolving chains labeled ‘ṛṇa-traya’.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Soma (Moon)
• Mṛgāṅka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Performing dharmic vows in Kāśī with proper timing is said to remove deep karmic obligations, culminating in liberation from the threefold debts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is praised as the uniquely potent setting for the vow, especially on Somavāra (Monday).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To perform the specified vow in Kāśī on a Monday during the bright fortnight (sudarśa/śukla pakṣa).