Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

अष्टम्यां च चतुर्दश्यां नवम्यां निशि वा दिवा । प्रयत्नतः समर्च्या सा काश्यां ज्ञानार्थिभिर्नरैः

Transliteration

aṣṭamyāṃ ca caturdaśyāṃ navamyāṃ niśi vā divā | prayatnataḥ samarcyā sā kāśyāṃ jñānārthibhirnaraiḥ

Translation

On the eighth, the fourteenth, and the ninth lunar tithi—by night or by day—she should be worshipped with earnest effort in Kāśī by those who seek spiritual knowledge.

Word by Word

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (tithi)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

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

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• नवम्याम्: on the ninth (tithi)
• नवम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नवमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

• दिवा: by day
• दिवा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: by day)

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort/diligently
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb: with effort)

• समर्च्या: to be duly worshipped
• समर्च्या: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: अनीयर्/य-प्रत्ययान्त विधेयकृदन्त (gerundive); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘सा … समर्च्या’ = she is to be worshipped

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ज्ञानार्थिभिः: by seekers of knowledge
• ज्ञानार्थिभिः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ज्ञानम् अर्थयते इति/ज्ञानस्य अर्थी = ज्ञान-अर्थी (तत्पुरुष)

• नरैः: by men/people
• नरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svapneśvarī (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees in Kāśī worship a goddess at her shrine on Aṣṭamī/Navamī/Caturdaśī; lamps, offerings, and a focused jñāna-seeker in the foreground.

Characters & Entities

• Svapneśvarī (implied)
• Kāśī
• Aṣṭamī
• Navamī
• Caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s worship is oriented toward jñāna (spiritual insight), with specific sacred times amplifying devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), specifically the Svapneśvarī-centered worship context of Adhyāya 20.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship the Goddess diligently on Aṣṭamī, Navamī, and Caturdaśī—day or night—especially for seekers of knowledge.