Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

ज्येष्ठे मासि सिते पक्षे प्राप्य प्रतिपदं तिथिम् । दशाश्वमेधिके स्नात्वा मुच्यते जन्मपातकैः

Transliteration

jyeṣṭhe māsi site pakṣe prāpya pratipadaṃ tithim | daśāśvamedhike snātvā mucyate janmapātakaiḥ

Translation

In the month of Jyeṣṭha, in the bright fortnight, upon reaching the Pratipadā lunar day—by bathing at Daśāśvamedhikā, one is freed from the sins that stain one’s very birth.

Word by Word

• ज्येष्ठे: in (the month of) Jyeṣṭha
• ज्येष्ठे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative setting)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘ज्येष्ठे (मासि)’ = in Jyeṣṭha

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• सिते: in the bright (fortnight)
• सिते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative setting)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘सिते (पक्षे)’ = in the bright (white) fortnight

• पक्षे: in the fortnight
• पक्षे: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), धातु: आप्; उपसर्गः प्र-; अर्थः ‘having obtained/reached’

• प्रतिपदम्: the Pratipadā (1st lunar day)
• प्रतिपदम्: Karma (Object of ‘prāpya’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (तिथि-शब्देन सह), द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तिथि-विशेषः

• तिथिम्: lunar day (tithi)
• तिथिम्: Karma (Apposition to प्रतिपदम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• दशाश्वमेधिके: at Daśāśvamedhika (place)
• दशाश्वमेधिके: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशाश्वमेधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; स्थान-विशेषः

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), धातु: स्ना; अर्थः ‘having bathed’

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• जन्मपातकैः: from sins (incurred) by birth
• जन्मपातकैः: Apādāna (Separation; ‘from birth-sins’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म + पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जन्मनः पातकानि)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daśāśvamedhikā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dawn on the Gaṅgā at Daśāśvamedha; pilgrims descend steps, take ritual dips, offer arghya to the rising sun; priests guide sankalpa on the Pratipadā of Jyeṣṭha śukla.

Characters & Entities

• Jyeṣṭha
• Śukla Pakṣa
• Pratipadā
• Daśāśvamedhika
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time (tithi) and place (tīrtha) together intensify purification; sacred bathing in Kāśī on an auspicious day is taught as a potent remover of pāpa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Daśāśvamedhika tīrtha in Kāśī, associated with Daśāśvamedheśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Daśāśvamedhika on Jyeṣṭha bright-fortnight Pratipadā.