Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

ये कार्तिके मासि सिताष्टमी तिथौ यात्रां करिष्यंति नरा उपोषिताः । रात्रौ च वै जागरणं महोत्सवैर्धर्मेश्वरे तेन पुनर्भवा भुवि

Transliteration

ye kārtike māsi sitāṣṭamī tithau yātrāṃ kariṣyaṃti narā upoṣitāḥ | rātrau ca vai jāgaraṇaṃ mahotsavairdharmeśvare tena punarbhavā bhuvi

Translation

Those who, fasting, undertake the pilgrimage in the month of Kārttika on the bright eighth lunar day, and who keep night‑vigil amid great festival celebrations at Dharmeśvara, will not be born again upon the earth because of that observance.

Word by Word

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कार्तिके: in Kārtika
• कार्तिके: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सिताष्टमी: the bright eighth (tithi)
• सिताष्टमी: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिता + अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; कर्मधारय (सिता अष्टमी)

• तिथौ: on the lunar day
• तिथौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative, Singular

• यात्राम्: pilgrimage / procession
• यात्राम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• करिष्यन्ति: will do
• करिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्काल), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन — Simple Future, 3rd person, Plural

• नराः: people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• उपोषिताः: having fasted
• उपोषिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + वस् (धातु) → उपोषित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (having fasted)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative, Singular

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

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• जागरणम्: vigil / staying awake
• जागरणम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• महोत्सवैः: with great festivals
• महोत्सवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; कर्मधारय (महान् उत्सवः)

• धर्मेश्वरे: at Dharmeśvara
• धर्मेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तेन: by that / thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Instrumental, Singular

• पुनर्भवाः: rebirths
• पुनर्भवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुनर्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

Śiva (deduced, addressing Dharma)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand night festival at Dharmeśvara: lamps blaze, devotees keep vigil singing; some sit in meditation, others circumambulate; the fasting pilgrims appear resolute under a moonlit Kārttika sky.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika māsa
• Śukla Aṣṭamī
• Dharmeśvara
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time-sanctified observances (Kārttika, aṣṭamī) joined with fasting and vigil at a holy shrine lead toward liberation from rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmeśvara in Kāśī, as the focal point for Kārttika aṣṭamī pilgrimage, festival, and vigil.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting), yātrā (pilgrimage/visit), and nocturnal jāgaraṇa (night vigil) during mahotsava at Dharmeśvara on Kārttika śukla aṣṭamī.