Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

चांद्रायणव्रतैः कृच्छ्रैर्भर्तुः शुश्रूषणैरपि । निनाय क्षणवत्कालमायुःशेषस्य सानघा

Transliteration

cāṃdrāyaṇavrataiḥ kṛcchrairbhartuḥ śuśrūṣaṇairapi | nināya kṣaṇavatkālamāyuḥśeṣasya sānaghā

Translation

Selbst durch die mühevollen Cāndrāyaṇa-Gelübde und strenge Askese sowie durch hingebungsvollen Dienst am Gatten ließ die schuldlose Frau die verbleibende Lebenszeit wie einen Augenblick vergehen.

Word by Word

• चांद्रायण-व्रतैः: by Cāndrāyaṇa vows
• चांद्रायण-व्रतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चांद्रायण (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चांद्रायणस्य व्रतानि) — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• कृच्छ्रैः: by severe (ones)
• कृच्छ्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (व्रतैः) — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• भर्तुः: of (her) husband
• भर्तुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• शुश्रूषणैः: by acts of service/attendance
• शुश्रूषणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुश्रूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (समुच्चय/अपि=also/even) — Indeclinable particle

• निनाय: she led/passed (spent)
• निनाय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• क्षणवत्: like a moment
• क्षणवत्: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षणवत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव-प्राय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (वत्=like) — Indeclinable (comparative)

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आयुः-शेषस्य: of the remaining lifespan
• आयुः-शेषस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आयुषः शेषः) — Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम — Feminine, Nominative, Singular (pronoun)

• अनघा: sinless/blameless
• अनघा: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनघा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सा) — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sinless devoted woman, austere and composed, performing Cāndrāyaṇa and household service; the passage of time shown as a shrinking thread or setting sun, suggesting āyuḥ-śeṣa slipping away.

Characters & Entities

• Cāndrāyaṇa-vrata
• Kṛcchra (austerity)
• Pati-sevā (service to husband)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity (vrata/tapas) and faithful duty, when done with purity, have profound spiritual power over one’s lived experience of time and fate.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding passage belongs to the Maṇikarṇikā-māhātmya of Kāśī, though this verse itself highlights vrata and service rather than a site-action.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cāndrāyaṇa-vrata and severe kṛcchra-type austerities, along with devoted service to one’s husband.