Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 170

Devanagari script

श्रद्धयाभीष्टफलदं चतुर्वर्गसमृद्धिकृत् । सकृज्जपादवाप्नोति ह्येकक्रतुफलंमुने

Transliteration

śraddhayābhīṣṭaphaladaṃ caturvargasamṛddhikṛt | sakṛjjapādavāpnoti hyekakratuphalaṃmune

Translation

O Weiser, dieses Japa, mit Glauben vollzogen, gewährt die ersehnten Früchte und schenkt Gedeihen in den vier Lebenszielen; selbst wenn man es nur einmal rezitiert, erlangt man Verdienst, das dem Ertrag eines einzigen Opferaktes (Kratu) entspricht.

Word by Word

• śraddhayā: with faith
• śraddhayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• abhīṣṭa-phala-dam: granting the desired fruit
• abhīṣṭa-phala-dam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhīṣṭa (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + da (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (स्तोत्रम् इति) कर्मपदविशेषणम्; Accusative singular neuter

• catur-varga-samṛddhi-kṛt: bringing prosperity of the four aims of life
• catur-varga-samṛddhi-kṛt: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + varga (प्रातिपदिक) + samṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛt (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (स्तोत्रम् इति) विशेषणम्; Nominative singular masculine

• sakṛt: once
• sakṛt: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sakṛt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम्; adverb ‘once’

• japāt: from (its) recitation
• japāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अपादान; Ablative singular

• avāpnoti: attains
• avāpnoti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (धातु) उपसर्गः ava-
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present indicative, 3rd sg.

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha/Avadhāraṇa (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• eka-kratu-phalam: the fruit of a single sacrifice
• eka-kratu-phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + kratu (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म; Accusative singular neuter

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī (implied)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A sage (muni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee seated on a Kāśī ghāṭa at dawn, hands in japa-mudrā, while subtle yajña-flames and Vedic symbols appear as luminous overlays, indicating ‘kratu-phala’ arising from a single recitation.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful japa is portrayed as a powerful dharmic act that can equal the merit of major ritual sacrifice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) and the sanctity of Gaṅgā-centered practice within Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (recitation) even once, performed with śraddhā, is prescribed as highly meritorious.