Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

जनकः शुभतिथ्यादौ विदेशगमनापहम् । षष्ठेऽन्नप्राशनंमासि न कृतं विधिपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

janakaḥ śubhatithyādau videśagamanāpaham | ṣaṣṭhe'nnaprāśanaṃmāsi na kṛtaṃ vidhipūrvakam

Translation

Zu einer glückverheißenden Zeit — (ein Ritual), das, wie man sagt, das Fortgehen in fremde Länder abwehrt — vollzog sein Vater dennoch im sechsten Monat die erste Speisung (annaprāśana) nicht nach der rechten Vorschrift.

Word by Word

• जनकः: the father
• जनकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शुभतिथ्यादौ: at the beginning on an auspicious lunar day
• शुभतिथ्यादौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ + तिथि + आदौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘शुभायां तिथौ आदौ’ इत्यर्थे (locative)

• विदेशगमनापहम्: that which wards off going abroad
• विदेशगमनापहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विदेश + गमन + अपह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासार्थः—‘विदेशगमनं अपहन्ति’ (removing foreign-travel)

• षष्ठे: in the sixth
• षष्ठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘षष्ठे (मासि)’

• अन्नप्राशनम्: the first-feeding (rice-feeding) rite
• अन्नप्राशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न + प्राशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘अन्नस्य प्राशनम्’)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Kriya-nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• कृतम्: done/performed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘कृतम्’ = ‘was done’

• विधिपूर्वकम्: according to proper procedure
• विधिपूर्वकम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — ‘विधिना पूर्वम्/विधिपूर्वकं’

Speaker

Citragupta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Address includes implied audience; verse itself states ‘janakaḥ’ (father) as actor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A father postpones the annāprāśana: a small bowl of sweetened rice remains untouched; elders look on; the child reaches out, while an astrologer’s almanac lies closed—symbolizing neglected auspicious timing.

Characters & Entities

• Citragupta
• Annaprāśana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Traditional dharma includes careful observance of saṃskāras; omission is treated as spiritually consequential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced; the setting remains within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative world.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The sixth-month annaprāśana (first-feeding) saṃskāra, to be done at an auspicious time, is mentioned as neglected.