Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

उपाकर्म ततः कृत्वा वेदानध्यापयत्सुधीः । त्र्यब्दं वेदान्सविधिनाऽध्यैष्ट सांगपदक्रमान्

Transliteration

upākarma tataḥ kṛtvā vedānadhyāpayatsudhīḥ | tryabdaṃ vedānsavidhinā'dhyaiṣṭa sāṃgapadakramān

Translation

Ensuite, après avoir accompli l’upākarma, le sage entreprit l’étude des Veda. Pendant trois ans, il étudia les Veda selon la règle : avec leurs auxiliaires, la récitation mot à mot et la récitation en enchaînement.

Word by Word

• उपाकर्म: the upākarma rite
• उपाकर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thereafter)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), पूर्वकालिक

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अध्यापयत्: taught (made study)
• अध्यापयत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + आप्/आपय (धातु; causative of अधि-इ/अधि-एत् ‘to study/recite’ treated as अध्यापय-)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (Causative: caused to study/teach)

• सुधीः: the wise one
• सुधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुधी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्र्यब्दम्: for three years
• त्र्यब्दम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Measure/extent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयः अब्दाः—परिमाण)

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सविधिना: according to the proper method
• सविधिना: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; तृतीया-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् (adverbial instrumental: ‘with proper procedure’)

• अध्यैष्ट: studied / recited
• अध्यैष्ट: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + इ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• साङ्गपदक्रमान्: the word-by-word recitations with auxiliaries
• साङ्गपदक्रमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साङ्ग + पदक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (साङ्गाः पदक्रमाः—अर्थतः ‘अङ्गसहित-पदक्रम-पाठाः’)

Speaker

Gaṇas (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A student seated before a guru near a small homa fire after upākarma; manuscripts, darbha grass, water pot; visual emphasis on recitation modes—one panel showing word-by-word (pada) and another showing linked sequence (krama).

Characters & Entities

• Upākarma
• Vedas
• Vedāṅgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through disciplined learning; Vedic study, begun with upākarma, is portrayed as a sacred, methodical path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is referenced; the verse emphasizes education and rite within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upākarma as the formal commencement of Vedic study, followed by regulated study including pada-pāṭha and krama-pāṭha.