Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

सर्वदा मिष्टमश्नाति कर्मणा येन भास्करे । न चूडाकरणं चास्य कृतमब्दे यथाकुलम्

Transliteration

sarvadā miṣṭamaśnāti karmaṇā yena bhāskare | na cūḍākaraṇaṃ cāsya kṛtamabde yathākulam

Translation

(Das ist das Ritual), durch das man gesegnet wird, stets Süßes zu essen, o Bhāskara; doch auch seine Tonsur (cūḍākaraṇa) wurde nicht im rechten Jahr nach dem Brauch der Familie vollzogen.

Word by Word

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• मिष्टम्: sweet food
• मिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• अश्नाति: eats
• अश्नाति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कर्मणा: by a rite/act
• कर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• भास्करे: on Sunday / at the Sun’s time
• भास्करे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘भास्करे (दिने/समये)’

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

• चूडाकरणम्: tonsure ceremony (cūḍā-karaṇa)
• चूडाकरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चूडा + करण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘चूडायाः करणम्’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• अस्य: of him/this (child)
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

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

• अब्दे: in the year
• अब्दे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘अब्दे’ = ‘वर्षे’

• यथाकुलम्: according to family custom
• यथाकुलम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + कुल (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषण — ‘कुलानुसारम्’

Speaker

Citragupta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhāskara (explicit vocative in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A barber’s tools and ritual items lie unused; the child’s hair remains unshorn. A narrator addresses ‘Bhāskara’ as witness, while sweets are present yet symbolically withheld—linking rite and promised sweetness.

Characters & Entities

• Citragupta
• Bhāskara
• Cūḍākaraṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is lived through disciplined observance of rites aligned with family and śāstra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it remains part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s ethical narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cūḍākaraṇa (tonsure) is referenced, to be performed at the proper age/year according to kula practice.