Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

कार्तिके मौननियमे घंटां चारु प्रदापयेत । पत्रभोजी कांस्यपात्रं घृतपूर्णं प्रयच्छति

Transliteration

kārtike maunaniyame ghaṃṭāṃ cāru pradāpayeta | patrabhojī kāṃsyapātraṃ ghṛtapūrṇaṃ prayacchati

Translation

In Kārttika, while observing the vow of silence, one should have a beautiful bell offered (to the Deity or the temple). And one who eats from leaves should donate a bell-metal vessel filled with ghee.

Word by Word

• कार्तिके: in Kārtika
• कार्तिके: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कालवाचकः

• मौननियमे: in the vow/observance of silence
• मौननियमे: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौन-नियम (प्रातिपदिक; मौन + नियम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भावः—‘मौनस्य नियमः’ (vow of silence)

• घण्टाम्: a bell
• घण्टाम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: घण्टा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम्

• आरु: āru (a food/offerable item)
• आरु: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; दान-वस्तु (a kind of offering/food)

• प्रदापयेत्: should have (it) offered/given
• प्रदापयेत्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative: ‘cause to be given/offer’)

• पत्रभोजी: one who eats on leaf-plates
• पत्रभोजी: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्र-भोजिन् (प्रातिपदिक; पत्र + भोजिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; ‘पत्रे भोजी’ (one who eats on leaves)

• कांस्यपात्रम्: a bronze vessel
• कांस्यपात्रम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: कांस्य-पात्र (प्रातिपदिक; कांस्य + पात्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• घृतपूर्णम्: filled with ghee
• घृतपूर्णम्: कर्म (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृत-पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; घृत + पूर्ण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘कांस्यपात्रम्’)

• प्रयच्छति: gives/offers
• प्रयच्छति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in silence presents a polished temple bell; nearby, a bell-metal vessel brimming with ghee is offered, with priests preparing lamps in a Kāśī shrine corridor.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika
• Mauna
• Ghaṃṭā
• Ghṛta
• Kāṃsya-pātra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner restraint (silence, simplicity in eating) should be paired with outward support of worship through meaningful temple gifts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practice is taught within Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s Kārttika framework, aligning with Kāśī’s temple-centered devotional culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During Kārttika observe mauna; offer a bell; if keeping a leaf-plate diet, donate a ghee-filled bell-metal vessel.