Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 160

Devanagari script

एकदा माधवे मासि महायात्रा समागता । विद्याधरास्तथा नागा मिलिताः सपरिच्छदाः

Transliteration

ekadā mādhave māsi mahāyātrā samāgatā | vidyādharāstathā nāgā militāḥ saparicchadāḥ

Translation

Einst, im Monat Mādhava (Vaiśākha), kam das große Pilgerfest heran; und Vidyādharas sowie Nāgas versammelten sich, vollständig ausgerüstet und mit ihren Gefolgen.

Word by Word

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• माधवे: in Mādhava (spring month)
• माधवे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; मास-विशेषणरूपे (in the month named Mādhava)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• महायात्रा: a great procession/pilgrimage
• महायात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘महती यात्रा’

• समागता: arrived/assembled
• समागता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त, past active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘arrived/assembled’ (agrees with महायात्रा)

• विद्याधराः: Vidyādharas
• विद्याधराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्याधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/तुल्यताबोधक (likewise/also)

• नागाः: Nāgas
• नागाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मिलिताः: gathered
• मिलिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मिल् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त, past active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘gathered/met’

• सपरिच्छदाः: with their retinue
• सपरिच्छदाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स- (उपसर्ग/सह-अर्थ) + परिच्छद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘परिच्छदः (उपकरण/परिवार) यस्य सः’ → ‘with retinue/attendants’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: narrative voice in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī in Mādhava-māsa (Vaiśākha) mahāyātrā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages / audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand festival day in Vaiśākha: processions, banners, lamps, and crowds; Vidyādharas and Nāgas arrive with attendants, ornaments, and offerings, converging on Kāśī’s sacred core.

Characters & Entities

• Mādhava (Vaiśākha)
• Mahāyātrā
• Vidyādhara
• Nāga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred festivals draw not only humans but cosmic beings—showing the universal pull of dharma-centered pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī region (Vārāṇasī) is the implied arena for the mahāyātrā described in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Participation in a mahāyātrā (great pilgrimage/procession/festival) during the month of Mādhava (Vaiśākha).