Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ज्येष्ठशुक्लचतुर्दश्यां सोमवारानुराधयोः । तत्पर्वणि महायात्रा कर्तव्या तत्र मानवैः

Transliteration

jyeṣṭhaśuklacaturdaśyāṃ somavārānurādhayoḥ | tatparvaṇi mahāyātrā kartavyā tatra mānavaiḥ

Translation

Am vierzehnten Tag der hellen Monatshälfte des Jyeṣṭha—wenn es ein Montag ist und die Nakṣatra Anurādhā herrscht—sollen die Menschen an diesem Festtag dort die große Pilgerfahrt vollziehen.

Word by Word

• ज्येष्ठ-शुक्ल-चतुर्दश्याम्: on the 14th (tithi) of the bright fortnight of Jyeṣṭha
• ज्येष्ठ-शुक्ल-चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyeṣṭha + śukla + caturdaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला (ज्येष्ठमासस्य शुक्लपक्षस्य चतुर्दशी)

• सोमवार-अनुराधयोः: of Monday and (the nakṣatra) Anurādhā
• सोमवार-अनुराधयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: somavāra + anurādhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (द्वन्द्वे समाहार/इतरेतर; रूपं द्विवचनस्य स्थाने षष्ठी-द्विवचनम्), षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), द्विवचनम्; समासः—द्वन्द्वः; (सोमवारस्य च अनुराधायाश्च)

• तत्-पर्वणि: on that festival/occasion
• तत्-पर्वणि: Adhikaraṇa (Time/occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad + parvan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तत् पर्व)

• महायात्रा: a great pilgrimage/procession
• महायात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः

• कर्तव्या: to be done / must be performed
• कर्तव्या: Kriyā (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु) (तव्यत्-कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विधिलिङ्गार्थक कृदन्तः (gerundive/obligatory); स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विधेय-विशेषणम् (महायात्रा)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb: there)

• मानवैः: by people/men
• मानवैः: Kartr̥ (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-प्रयोगे)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda (narrator, contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (mahāyātrā at the specified parvan)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A proclamation of the ideal festival timing for a great pilgrimage: bright fortnight 14th of Jyeṣṭha, Monday, Anurādhā—suggesting crowds moving through ghāṭas and temples under auspicious skies.

Characters & Entities

• Jyeṣṭha (month)
• Anurādhā (nakṣatra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time amplifies sacred place: aligning pilgrimage with auspicious tithi, weekday, and nakṣatra is presented as dharmically potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a ‘there’ within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s pilgrimage setting—understood as Kāśī’s sacred circuit/mahāyātrā context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform a mahā-yātrā (great pilgrimage/procession) on Jyeṣṭha bright caturdaśī when it coincides with Monday and Anurādhā nakṣatra.