Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

विधाय पारणं पश्चात्पुत्रभृत्यसमन्वितैः । सम्यग्वाराणसीवासफलं लभ्येत कुंभज

Transliteration

vidhāya pāraṇaṃ paścātputrabhṛtyasamanvitaiḥ | samyagvārāṇasīvāsaphalaṃ labhyeta kuṃbhaja

Translation

Daraufhin, nachdem man das pāraṇa (die abschließende Mahlzeit) ordnungsgemäß zusammen mit Söhnen und Dienern vollzogen hat, erlangt man wahrhaft die volle Frucht des Wohnens in Vārāṇasī—o Kumbhaja (Agastya).

Word by Word

• विधाय: having performed
• विधाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• पारणम्: breaking the fast (pāraṇa)
• पारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: afterwards)

• पुत्रभृत्यसमन्वितैः: together with sons and servants
• पुत्रभृत्यसमन्वितैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र + भृत्य + समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (पुत्र-भृत्य) + क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘समन्वित’ (endowed/ accompanied); विशेषण (to implied agents)

• सम्यक्: properly, completely
• सम्यक्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: properly/fully)

• वाराणसीवासफलम्: the fruit of dwelling in Varanasi
• वाराणसीवासफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी + वास + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वाराणस्यां वासस्य फलम्)

• लभ्येत: would be obtained
• लभ्येत: Kriya (Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• कुम्भज: O Kumbhaja (Agastya)
• कुम्भज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) via Viśālākṣī vrata completion

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After morning rites, the devotee performs pāraṇa: a clean meal shared with sons and attendants; in the background, Kāśī’s ghāṭas and temple spires signal that disciplined living in the kṣetra culminates in fulfilled merit.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Agastya (Kumbhaja)
• Pāraṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual observance bears fruit when completed correctly; the sanctity of Kāśī is realized through disciplined practice and proper conclusion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī/Kāśī itself is praised through the phrase ‘the fruit of dwelling in Vārāṇasī’.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pāraṇa (ending the fast with the prescribed meal) afterward, in a proper manner, along with one’s household/retinue.