Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

सोपस्करां च तां मृर्तिमाचार्याय निवेदयेत् । समुच्चरन्निमं मंत्रं व्रतकृन्मिथुनं मुदा

Transliteration

sopaskarāṃ ca tāṃ mṛrtimācāryāya nivedayet | samuccarannimaṃ maṃtraṃ vratakṛnmithunaṃ mudā

Translation

Das gelübdehaltende Ehepaar soll dem Lehrer freudig jene Mūrti (heilige Bildgestalt) mitsamt den erforderlichen Zubehörteilen darbringen, während es dieses Mantra laut rezitiert.

Word by Word

• सोपस्कराम्: together with its accessories
• सोपस्कराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + उपस्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘with accessories/implements’; विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मूर्तिम्: image/form (idol)
• मूर्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आचार्याय: to the teacher
• आचार्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• निवेदयेत्: should present/offer
• निवेदयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + √विद्/वेद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• समुच्चरन्: uttering/reciting
• समुच्चरन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + उद् + √चर् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present participle active), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘uttering’

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; विशेषणम् (मन्त्रं)

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• व्रतकृत्: the performer of the vow
• व्रतकृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत + कृत् (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ (धातु) + क्विप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्विप्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘कृत्’ (doer); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (व्रतं करोति)

• मिथुनम्: the pair/couple
• मिथुनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिथुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; apposition to व्रतकृत् (collective sense)

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The couple offers a carefully prepared icon on a tray with lamps, incense, garlands, and cloth; the ācārya receives it while the couple recites a mantra aloud, hands joined, faces radiant.

Characters & Entities

• ācārya
• mūrti
• mantra
• daṃpatī (couple)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual giving should be accompanied by correct intention and sacred speech (mantra), offered respectfully through the guru.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred setting where such vrata-acts and offerings are taught for attaining desired fruits.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Presenting the mūrti with its accessories to the ācārya while audibly reciting the prescribed mantra.