Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तस्यां तिथौ महायात्रा कार्या क्षेत्रनिवासिभिः । उपसर्ग प्रशांत्यर्थं निर्वाणकमलाप्तये

Transliteration

tasyāṃ tithau mahāyātrā kāryā kṣetranivāsibhiḥ | upasarga praśāṃtyarthaṃ nirvāṇakamalāptaye

Translation

An jenem heiligen tithi sollen die Bewohner des heiligen kṣetra (Kāśī) die große yātrā als Prozession vollziehen, um Unheile zu besänftigen und den Lotus der Befreiung (nirvāṇa) zu erlangen.

Word by Word

• तस्याम्: in that (f.)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• तिथौ: on the lunar day
• तिथौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्

• महायात्रा: the great procession/pilgrimage
• महायात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• कार्या: should be done
• कार्या: Karta (Predicate adjective with subject/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, -य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विधेय-विशेषणम् (to be done)

• क्षेत्रनिवासिभिः: by the residents of the sacred field (kṣetra)
• क्षेत्रनिवासिभिः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + निवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्

• उपसर्ग: affliction/obstacle
• उपसर्ग: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• प्रशान्ति-अर्थम्: for (their) pacification
• प्रशान्ति-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रशान्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial: 'for the purpose of')

• निर्वाणकमलाप्तये: for attaining the lotus of liberation
• निर्वाणकमलाप्तये: Sampradana (Goal/recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक) + कमल (प्रातिपदिक) + आप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (Dative/4th), एकवचनम्; (समासे) निर्वाण-रूपं कमलं यस्याः सा आप्तिः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A great Kāśī procession on an auspicious tithi: devotees moving through lanes toward ghāṭs and shrines, carrying lamps and banners; priests chanting; the city’s sacred skyline with temples and the Gaṅgā in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Kṣetra)
• Mahāyātrā
• Nirvāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Collective sacred pilgrimage in Kāśī is presented as a dharmic remedy that both calms worldly afflictions and leads the seeker toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as the kṣetra (the sacred field of Vārāṇasī), where pilgrimage itself is praised as a mokṣa-oriented practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing a mahāyātrā (major pilgrimage/procession) on a specified tithi for upasarga-śānti (pacification of troubles) and mokṣa.