Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

अद्यशुक्लचतुर्दश्यां मार्गेमासि तपोनिधे । अत्र स्नानादिकं कार्यं पैशाच्यपरिमोचनम

Transliteration

adyaśuklacaturdaśyāṃ mārgemāsi taponidhe | atra snānādikaṃ kāryaṃ paiśācyaparimocanama

Translation

O treasure of austerity, today—on the bright fourteenth day of the month of Mārgaśīrṣa—one should perform bathing and the related rites here; this brings release from piśāca-affliction.

Word by Word

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• शुक्लचतुर्दश्याम्: on the bright fortnight’s fourteenth day
• शुक्लचतुर्दश्याम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukla-caturdaśī (प्रातिपदिक; शुक्ल + चतुर्दशी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; locative singular; ‘on the bright (fortnight) fourteenth’

• मार्गे: in Mārga (Mārgaśīrṣa)
• मार्गे: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; locative singular; month-name context

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; locative singular

• तपोनिधे: O treasure of austerity
• तपोनिधे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas-nidhi (प्रातिपदिक; तपस् + निधि)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचनम्; vocative singular (address)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• स्नानादिकम्: bathing etc.
• स्नानादिकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna-ādika (प्रातिपदिक; स्नान + आदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; nominative singular; ‘bathing and the like’

• कार्यम्: should be done
• कार्यम्: Vidhi (Injunction/predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective): ‘is to be done/should be done’

• पैशाच्यपरिमोचनम्: removal of the piśāca-taint
• पैशाच्यपरिमोचनम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paiśācya-parimocana (प्रातिपदिक; पैशाच्य + परिमोचन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; nominative singular; apposition/explanatory to स्नानादिकम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Piśācamocana

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Tapasvin addressed as ‘taponidhe’

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bright fortnight evening at Kāśī: pilgrims gather for the caturdaśī observance; banners, lamps, and priests guide snāna and rites; the moon nearly full.

Characters & Entities

• Mārgaśīrṣa (Mārga) month
• Śukla Caturdaśī
• Piśācamocana Tīrtha
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right time (tithi) and right place (tīrtha) together intensify spiritual efficacy and remove deep afflictions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Piśācamocana Tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna and associated observances at the tīrtha on Mārgaśīrṣa bright Caturdaśī for removal of paiśācya.