Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

अश्वत्थं चैत्यवृक्षं च गुरुं जलभृतं घटम् । सिद्धान्नं दधिसिद्धार्थं गच्छन्कुर्यात्प्रदक्षिणम्

Transliteration

aśvatthaṃ caityavṛkṣaṃ ca guruṃ jalabhṛtaṃ ghaṭam | siddhānnaṃ dadhisiddhārthaṃ gacchankuryātpradakṣiṇam

Translation

Beim Gehen soll man ehrfürchtig Pradakṣiṇā vollziehen um die Aśvattha (heilige Feige), um den geweihten Schreinbaum, um den eigenen Guru, um ein mit Wasser gefülltes Gefäß, um gekochte Speise, um Quark (Joghurt) und um Senf — sie ehrend als glückverheißende Stützen des Dharma.

Word by Word

• अश्वत्थम्: the aśvattha (sacred fig) tree
• अश्वत्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• चैत्यवृक्षम्: a shrine-tree / sacred tree
• चैत्यवृक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्य + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (चैत्यस्य वृक्षः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गुरुम्: the teacher
• गुरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जलभृतम्: a water-pot (water-bearer vessel)
• जलभृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + भृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जलस्य भृत् = जलं बिभर्ति इति)

• घटम्: a pot
• घटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सिद्धान्नम्: cooked food
• सिद्धान्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सिद्धम् अन्नम्)

• दधिसिद्धार्थम्: sesame/white mustard prepared with curd
• दधिसिद्धार्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि + सिद्धार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दध्ना सिद्धः अर्थः/सिद्धार्थः)

• गच्छन्: going (while going)
• गच्छन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी; ‘going/while going’ (कर्तरि)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रदक्षिणम्: circumambulation (clockwise)
• प्रदक्षिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (accusative of manner)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (general ācāra within the kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī pilgrim walking along a narrow lane near a shrine-tree and aśvattha, hands folded, performing a brief pradakṣiṇā; nearby a guru sits, a water-pot (ghaṭa) is placed by a doorway, and offerings of cooked rice, curd, and mustard are arranged on leaf-plates.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• aśvattha
• guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Treat supports of life and worship—guru, sacred trees, water, and food—as worthy of reverence; humility and auspicious conduct protect dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-context, where right conduct is presented as especially meritorious in Vārāṇasī (Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā (circumambulation) of sacred trees, the guru, and auspicious/pure items such as a water-pot and prepared foods.