Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

शरत्काले महापूजां तत्र कृत्वा विधानतः । हवींषि हुत्वा मंत्रज्ञो महतीं सिद्धिमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

śaratkāle mahāpūjāṃ tatra kṛtvā vidhānataḥ | havīṃṣi hutvā maṃtrajño mahatīṃ siddhimāpnuyāt

Translation

In der Herbstzeit erlangt, wer dort nach Vorschrift eine große Pūjā vollzieht und, der Mantras kundig, Opfergaben in das heilige Feuer darbringt, eine große Siddhi.

Word by Word

• शरत्काले: in the autumn season
• शरत्काले: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरत् + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; शरत्काल-शब्दः (समासः: शरत्-कालः)

• महापूजाम्: a great worship
• महापूजाम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; महा+पूजा (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: पूर्वकालक्रिया (पूर्वकर्म/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); कृ-धातोः

• विधानतः: according to the prescribed method
• विधानतः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (adverbial) — ‘according to rule’

• हवींषि: oblations
• हवींषि: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; हविस्-शब्दः

• हुत्वा: having offered (into fire)
• हुत्वा: पूर्वकालक्रिया (पूर्वकर्म/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); हु-धातोः

• मन्त्रज्ञः: one who knows the mantras
• मन्त्रज्ञः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; मन्त्र-ज्ञ (मन्त्रान् जानाति इति)

• महतीम्: great
• महतीम्: कर्म (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सिद्धिम् इति विशेषणम्

• सिद्धिम्: attainment/success
• सिद्धिम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आप्नुयात्: may obtain
• आप्नुयात्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Autumn in Kāśī: a devotee performs a grand pūjā before a Śiva-liṅga, then tends a homa-kuṇḍa with steady flames; priests recite mantras; lamps and marigolds, Gaṅgā ghāṭa ambience in the background.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual performed with scriptural method and mantra-competence at a sacred place matures into ‘siddhi’—effective spiritual fruition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks of worship ‘there’ within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context—i.e., Kāśī/Varanasi and its sanctified ritual sphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mahāpūjā performed vidhānataḥ (per injunction) along with havis-offerings in a homa by a mantra-knower.