Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

काश्यां माघः प्रयागे यैर्न स्नातो मकरार्कगः । अरुणोदयमासाद्य तेषां निःश्रेयसं कुतः

Transliteration

kāśyāṃ māghaḥ prayāge yairna snāto makarārkagaḥ | aruṇodayamāsādya teṣāṃ niḥśreyasaṃ kutaḥ

Translation

Wie sollte die höchste Seligkeit denen zuteilwerden, die im Monat Māgha, wenn die Sonne im Makara steht, das heilige Morgenbad in Prayāga nicht genommen haben, obwohl die Stunde des Sonnenaufgangs gekommen ist?

Word by Word

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

• माघः: the month Māgha
• माघः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मासवाचकः

• प्रयागे: in Prayāga
• प्रयागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• यैः: by whom (those who)
• यैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्ता-सम्बन्धे), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे ‘by whom/for whom’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• स्नातः: has bathed
• स्नातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘स्नातः’ = ‘has bathed’

• मकरार्कगः: when the sun is in Capricorn (Makara)
• मकरार्कगः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मकर + अर्क + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मकरस्य अर्कः = मकरार्कः; तत्र गः)

• अरुणोदयम्: dawn
• अरुणोदयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरुण + उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अरुणस्य उदयः)

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-√सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (ल्यप्), पूर्वकालिक क्रियाविशेषण; ‘having reached/after attaining’

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• निःश्रेयसम्: final good/liberation
• निःश्रेयसम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निःश्रेयस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुतः: how/whence
• कुतः: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb: ‘whence/how’)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga (Māgha-aruṇodaya snāna)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience seeking niḥśreyasa; pilgrims comparing Kāśī and Prayāga observances

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pre-dawn at Prayāga: pale horizon, pilgrims descending ghat steps with water pots; the sun just about to rise; a didactic tone suggests missed opportunity for those who do not bathe.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Prayāga
• Māgha
• Makara (Capricorn)
• Aruṇodaya (dawn)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Timely observance matters: Māgha-dawn bathing at Prayāga is upheld as a powerful discipline leading toward the highest good.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga, especially for the Māgha season dawn-bath (aruṇodaya snāna).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing at Prayāga at dawn during Māgha when the Sun is in Makara (Makara-saṅkrānti season).