Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

उपरागसमं पर्व तदुक्तं कालवेदिभिः । तस्यां दत्तं हुतं जप्तं सर्वं भवति चाक्षयम्

Transliteration

uparāgasamaṃ parva taduktaṃ kālavedibhiḥ | tasyāṃ dattaṃ hutaṃ japtaṃ sarvaṃ bhavati cākṣayam

Translation

Die Kenner der heiligen Zeit erklären, dieses Gelübde sei einem Finsternisfest gleich; was an jenem Tag als dāna gegeben, im Feuer dargebracht oder als japa wiederholt wird, wird unerschöpflich.

Word by Word

• उपरागसमम्: equal to an eclipse
• उपरागसमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपराग-सम (प्रातिपदिक; उपराग + सम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter, nominative/accusative singular; adjective)

• पर्व: festival day, sacred occasion
• पर्व: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, nominative singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• उक्तम्: declared, said
• उक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) / Predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘said/declared’ (past passive participle)

• कालवेदिभिः: by the knowers of time (astrologers)
• कालवेदिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल-वेदी (प्रातिपदिक; काल + वेदिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental plural)

• तस्याम्: on that (occasion)
• तस्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (feminine, locative singular)

• दत्तम्: given (as gift)
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘given’ (past passive participle)

• हुतम्: offered (as oblation)
• हुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘offered in fire’

• जप्तम्: recited (as mantra)
• जप्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘recited’

• सर्वम्: all (of that)
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनामसदृश-विशेषण (neuter nom/acc sg)

• भवति: becomes
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (present indicative, 3rd sg)

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

• अक्षयम्: imperishable, inexhaustible
• अक्षयम्: Predicative (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter nom/acc sg)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (parva-kāla observance)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī ghāṭa at dawn on a parva-day: devotees performing japa with mālā, a small homa fire with offerings, and a giver placing alms into a brāhmaṇa’s hands; the atmosphere suggests eclipse-like sanctity and heightened merit.

Characters & Entities

• Kālavedin (time-knowers)
• Parva (sacred day)
• Uparāga (eclipse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right timing magnifies dharma—on great parvas, even small acts become spiritually inexhaustible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement supports the Kāśī-based Aṅgāraka Caturthī observance taught in this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform dāna (charity), huta/homa (fire-offering), and japa on that parva for akṣaya (inexhaustible) fruit.