Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

अभ्यस्य नवतिं चैतां स्वर्गमार्गप्रदीपिकाम् । सतामभिमतां पुण्यां गृहस्थो नावसीदति

Transliteration

abhyasya navatiṃ caitāṃ svargamārgapradīpikām | satāmabhimatāṃ puṇyāṃ gṛhastho nāvasīdati

Translation

By practicing this set of nine—the lamp that illumines the path to heaven, holy and cherished by the good—a householder does not fall into decline.

Word by Word

• अभ्यस्य: having practiced/studied
• अभ्यस्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-अस्/अभ्यस् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/तुमुनादि-सम्भवः—अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) ‘अभ्यस्य’ = ‘अभ्यासं कृत्वा/अभ्यस्यन्’ (प्रयोगे ‘having practiced/studying’)

• नवतिम्: the ninety / (here) the set called ‘navati’
• नवतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नवति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘नवति’ = ‘नवकसमूहः/नवत्याः’ (यहाँ ‘एतां’ विशेष्य)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘नवतिम्/प्रदीपिकाम्’ विशेषणम्

• स्वर्गमार्गप्रदीपिकाम्: the lamp/guide to the path to heaven
• स्वर्गमार्गप्रदीपिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदीपिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘स्वर्गमार्गस्य प्रदीपिका’ (मार्गप्रकाशिका)

• सताम्: of the good (people)
• सताम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘सज्जनानाम्’

• अभिमताम्: approved/desired
• अभिमताम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-√मन् (धातु) → अभिमत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘पुण्याम्/एताम्’ विशेषणम्; ‘प्रिय/इष्ट’

• पुण्याम्: meritorious/holy
• पुण्याम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘एताम्/प्रदीपिकाम्’ विशेषणम्

• गृहस्थः: a householder
• गृहस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• अवसीदति: sinks/falls into distress
• अवसीदति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-सद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Householders (explicit: gṛhastha) and general audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder family prospers in dharma: the nine virtues appear as nine lamps around their home; the path to svarga is shown as a luminous stairway/road, while sages approve from the side.

Characters & Entities

• Svarga
• Gṛhastha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady practice of the nine virtues safeguards the householder and guides one toward higher worlds and well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse belongs to Kāśī’s sacred teaching-context, but the verse itself praises a virtue-path, not a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular cultivation (abhyāsa) of the nine virtues is prescribed as the practical discipline for householders.