Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

महापूजोपकरणैश्चित्रघंटां समर्च्य च । शृणोति नांतकस्येह घंटां महिषकंठगाम्

Transliteration

mahāpūjopakaraṇaiścitraghaṃṭāṃ samarcya ca | śṛṇoti nāṃtakasyeha ghaṃṭāṃ mahiṣakaṃṭhagām

Translation

Having duly worshipped Citraghaṇṭā with the full great requisites of pūjā, here in Kāśī one does not hear the bell of Antaka (Yama)—the bell that hangs at the neck of the buffalo, his mount.

Word by Word

• महा-पूजा-उपकरणैः: with the implements of great worship
• महा-पूजा-उपकरणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक) + उपकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (महायाः पूजायाः उपकरणानि)

• चित्रघण्टाम्: Citraghaṇṭā
• चित्रघण्टाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रघण्टा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• समर्च्य: having duly worshipped
• समर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) = having worshipped; अव्ययभाव

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction) = and

• शृणोति: he hears
• शृणोति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• अन्तकस्य: of Antaka (Yama)
• अन्तकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place) = here

• घण्टाम्: the bell
• घण्टाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घण्टा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• महिष-कण्ठ-गाम्: reaching the buffalo’s neck (i.e., hung on it)
• महिष-कण्ठ-गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक) + कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + गा (कृदन्त; √गम् (धातु))
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (णिनि/शतृ-प्राय ‘गाम्’ = going/reaching); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (महिषस्य कण्ठं गच्छति या)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Citraghaṇṭā (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a lamp-lit Kāśī shrine, devotees offer a ‘great pūjā’ to Citraghaṇṭā; outside, Yama’s buffalo with a neck-bell fades into darkness, unheard and powerless.

Characters & Entities

• Citraghaṇṭā
• Antaka (Yama)
• Mahiṣa (buffalo mount)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wholehearted worship in Kāśī grants protection from the dread of Yama—devotion transforms one’s fate.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, where Citraghaṇṭā’s worship is said to nullify Yama-related fear and consequence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform complete pūjā (mahā-pūjā) to Citraghaṇṭā using proper ritual requisites.