Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

यात्रामिलितभक्तेषु प्रातर्यातेषु सर्वतः । संमार्जनादिकं कृत्वा लिंगमभ्यर्च्य हर्षतः

Transliteration

yātrāmilitabhakteṣu prātaryāteṣu sarvataḥ | saṃmārjanādikaṃ kṛtvā liṃgamabhyarcya harṣataḥ

Translation

Als die zur Pilgerprozession versammelten Frommen am Morgen in alle Richtungen aufgebrochen waren, verrichtete sie das Fegen und andere Dienste und verehrte dann freudig den Liṅga.

Word by Word

• यात्रा-मिलित-भक्तेषु: among the devotees gathered for the yātrā
• यात्रा-मिलित-भक्तेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + मिलित (कृदन्त; √मिल्/√मिल (धातु) + क्त) + भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः: यात्रायां मिलिताः भक्ताः = ‘among the devotees assembled for the procession/pilgrimage’

• प्रातः: in the morning
• प्रातः: Kāla (Temporal adjunct/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय/adverb of time

• यातेषु: (when they had) departed
• यातेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यात (कृदन्त; √या (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (भक्तेषु understood)

• सर्वतः: everywhere, on all sides
• सर्वतः: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: दिक्/परिमाणवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘on all sides/entirely’)

• संमार्जन-आदिकम्: sweeping etc.
• संमार्जन-आदिकम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संमार्जन (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: संमार्जनं आदिः यस्य तत् = ‘sweeping and the like’

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकालिक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकालिक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + √अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); उपसर्ग: अभि

• हर्षतः: with joy
• हर्षतः: Hetu (Cause/भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणार्थे ‘from/with joy’ (adverbial ablative)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Praṇaveśa-liṅga precinct (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Morning light in a Kāśī temple courtyard: pilgrims disperse; Mādhavī remains, sweeping the stone floor, gathering flowers, then approaching the liṅga with offerings, smiling with quiet joy.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Yātrā (religious procession)
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, simple acts like cleaning the sacred space become potent bhakti when offered before liṅga-worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Śaiva shrine setting, centered on the worship of the liṅga (Oṃkāra-associated context in this adhyāya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃmārjana (sweeping/cleaning) and abhyarcana (formal worship) of the Śiva-liṅga.