Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

पिप्पलं तत्र सेवित्वा अश्वत्थ इति मंत्रतः । शनिपीडां न लभते दुःस्वप्नं चापि नाशयेत्

Transliteration

pippalaṃ tatra sevitvā aśvattha iti maṃtrataḥ | śanipīḍāṃ na labhate duḥsvapnaṃ cāpi nāśayet

Translation

Wer dort dem Pippala-Baum dient und dabei das Mantra „aśvattha“ rezitiert, erleidet keine Bedrängnis durch Śani und vernichtet auch böse Träume.

Word by Word

• पिप्पलम्: the pippala tree
• पिप्पलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिप्पल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• सेवित्वा: having worshipped/served
• सेवित्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) = having served/worshipped

• अश्वत्थः: ‘aśvattha’
• अश्वत्थः: Karma (Quoted name/object of utterance/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; (मन्त्र-शब्दरूपेण नाम)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• मन्त्रतः: by means of the mantra
• मन्त्रतः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = मन्त्रतः ‘by/according to the mantra’

• शनि-पीडाम्: affliction from Śani
• शनि-पीडाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शनि (प्रातिपदिक) + पीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः: शनेः पीडा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• लभते: obtains/gets
• लभते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• दुः-स्वप्नम्: bad dream
• दुः-स्वप्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुः (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + स्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः: दुःस्वप्नः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः) = bad dream

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (particle: also/even)

• नाशयेत्: would destroy/remove
• नाशयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense in usage ‘cause to perish/destroy’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pippala (Aśvattha) at Pippalāda-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/ṛṣis in the frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred pippala tree with a small platform and Nāga-stone; a devotee circumambulates, touching the trunk, offering water and a lamp, softly repeating ‘aśvattha’; the mood is protective and calming, warding off Saturn’s heaviness and nightmares.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvattha (Pippala) tree
• Śani
• Pippaleśvara
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through simple, sattvic practices—tree worship and mantra—can remove fear, affliction, and mental disturbances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The pippala/aśvattha sacred area connected with Pippaleśvara in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā (worship/service) of the pippala tree with the mantra ‘aśvattha,’ aimed at relief from Śani pīḍā and bad dreams.