Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

मासोपवासादन्यत्र यत्फलं समुपार्ज्यते । श्रद्धयैकोपवासेन तत्काश्यां स्यादसंशयम्

Transliteration

māsopavāsādanyatra yatphalaṃ samupārjyate | śraddhayaikopavāsena tatkāśyāṃ syādasaṃśayam

Translation

Die Frucht, die man anderswo durch ein Fasten eines ganzen Monats erwirbt, wird in Kāśī, ohne Zweifel, durch ein einziges Fasten erlangt, das im Glauben vollzogen wird.

Word by Word

• मासोपवासात्: from a month-long fast
• मासोपवासात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास + उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—मासस्य उपवासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/प्रकरणवाचक अव्यय (elsewhere)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• समुपार्ज्यते: is obtained/earned
• समुपार्ज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उप + अर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• एकोपवासेन: by a single fast
• एकोपवासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—एकः उपवासः (कर्मधारय-भावे; here treated as तत्पुरुष)

• तत्: that (result)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण), निश्चयार्थ

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee fasting in Kāśī: sitting near Viśveśa temple or ghāṭa, holding a japa-mālā, with a faint calendar motif showing ‘one day’ outweighing ‘one month’ elsewhere.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Upavāsa (fasting)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith-filled simplicity in Kāśī is powerful; the kṣetra magnifies even modest austerities into great merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is glorified as a place where austerities yield accelerated spiritual results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ekāda upavāsa in principle: a single fast (ekopavāsa) performed with śraddhā in Kāśī.