Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

नभस्य बहुलाष्टम्यां कृत्वा जागरणं निशि । समभ्यर्च्य महालक्ष्मीं व्रती व्रतफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

nabhasya bahulāṣṭamyāṃ kṛtvā jāgaraṇaṃ niśi | samabhyarcya mahālakṣmīṃ vratī vrataphalaṃ labhet

Translation

On bahulāṣṭamī, the dark eighth day of the month of Nabhas (Bhādrapada), keeping vigil through the night and duly worshipping Mahālakṣmī, the vow-observing devotee attains the full fruit of the vrata.

Word by Word

• नभस्य: of Nabhas (month Bhādrapada)
• नभस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• बहुला-अष्टम्याम्: on the dark-fortnight eighth (tithi)
• बहुला-अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहुला (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular; समासः कर्मधारयः (बहुला अष्टमी)

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive) — having done

• जागरणम्: night-vigil
• जागरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular (Vedic/poetic form)

• समभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• समभ्यर्च्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive) — having duly worshipped

• महालक्ष्मीम्: Mahalakshmi
• महालक्ष्मीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; समासः कर्मधारयः

• व्रती: the vow-observer
• व्रती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• व्रतफलम्: the fruit of the vow
• व्रतफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (व्रतस्य फलम्)

• लभेत्: should obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), एकवचन — should obtain

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda instructing Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in Kāśī keeps an all-night vigil on bahulāṣṭamī, worshipping Mahālakṣmī with lamps, lotus-flowers, and offerings; the night sky and ghāṭa-lamps frame the sanctity of the vow.

Characters & Entities

• Mahālakṣmī
• Nabhas (Bhādrapada)
• Bahulāṣṭamī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discipline in time-bound observances—vigil and worship on a sacred tithi—ripens a vrata into its promised spiritual result.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahālakṣmī sacred setting in Kāśī where her worship and related observances are praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

On Bhādrapada (Nabhas) dark aṣṭamī: perform night-long jāgaraṇa and worship (arcana) of Mahālakṣmī as a vrata.