Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

अभ्यस्य नवतिं चैतां स्वर्गमार्गप्रदीपिकाम् । सतामभिमतां पुण्यां गृहस्थो नावसीदति

Transliteration

abhyasya navatiṃ caitāṃ svargamārgapradīpikām | satāmabhimatāṃ puṇyāṃ gṛhastho nāvasīdati

Translation

Wer diese Neun übt—die Leuchte, welche den Weg zum Himmel erhellt, heilig und von den Guten gebilligt—der Haushälter gerät nicht in Verfall.

Word by Word

• अभ्यस्य: having practiced/studied
• अभ्यस्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-अस्/अभ्यस् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/तुमुनादि-सम्भवः—अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) ‘अभ्यस्य’ = ‘अभ्यासं कृत्वा/अभ्यस्यन्’ (प्रयोगे ‘having practiced/studying’)

• नवतिम्: the ninety / (here) the set called ‘navati’
• नवतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नवति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘नवति’ = ‘नवकसमूहः/नवत्याः’ (यहाँ ‘एतां’ विशेष्य)

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

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘नवतिम्/प्रदीपिकाम्’ विशेषणम्

• स्वर्गमार्गप्रदीपिकाम्: the lamp/guide to the path to heaven
• स्वर्गमार्गप्रदीपिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदीपिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘स्वर्गमार्गस्य प्रदीपिका’ (मार्गप्रकाशिका)

• सताम्: of the good (people)
• सताम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘सज्जनानाम्’

• अभिमताम्: approved/desired
• अभिमताम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-√मन् (धातु) → अभिमत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘पुण्याम्/एताम्’ विशेषणम्; ‘प्रिय/इष्ट’

• पुण्याम्: meritorious/holy
• पुण्याम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘एताम्/प्रदीपिकाम्’ विशेषणम्

• गृहस्थः: a householder
• गृहस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• अवसीदति: sinks/falls into distress
• अवसीदति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-सद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Householders (explicit: gṛhastha) and general audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder family prospers in dharma: the nine virtues appear as nine lamps around their home; the path to svarga is shown as a luminous stairway/road, while sages approve from the side.

Characters & Entities

• Svarga
• Gṛhastha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady practice of the nine virtues safeguards the householder and guides one toward higher worlds and well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse belongs to Kāśī’s sacred teaching-context, but the verse itself praises a virtue-path, not a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular cultivation (abhyāsa) of the nine virtues is prescribed as the practical discipline for householders.