Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

एषां क्रियानिषेकादि श्मशानांता च वैदिकी । आदधीत सुधीर्गर्भमृतौमूलं मघां त्यजेत्

Transliteration

eṣāṃ kriyāniṣekādi śmaśānāṃtā ca vaidikī | ādadhīta sudhīrgarbhamṛtaumūlaṃ maghāṃ tyajet

Translation

Pour ces dvijas, les rites védiques commencent par les rites de la conception et s’étendent jusqu’au lieu des funérailles (les derniers sacrements). Le sage doit les accomplir comme il se doit ; et il évitera Maghā, astérisme néfaste, à la racine du temps saisonnier ou de la conception.

Word by Word

• eṣām: of these
• eṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), त्रिलिङ्ग-प्रयोग (used for all genders)

• kriyā-niṣeka-ādi: the rites beginning with conception-rite etc.
• kriyā-niṣeka-ādi: Visheshya (Head term/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक) + niṣeka (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-प्रयोग)
• Form: समासः (compound) तत्पुरुषः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); ‘…आदि’ = ‘and so on’

• śmaśāna-antāḥ: ending with the cremation-ground (i.e., up to funeral rites)
• śmaśāna-antāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śmaśāna (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः बहुव्रीहिः; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• vaidikī: Vedic (prescribed by the Veda)
• vaidikī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaidikī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ādadhīta: should perform/should place (i.e., should undertake)
• ādadhīta: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√dhā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• sudhīḥ: a wise person
• sudhīḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-dhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• garbha-mṛtau-mūlam: the root (basis) of birth and death (i.e., procreation)
• garbha-mṛtau-mūlam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garbha (प्रातिपदिक) + mṛtau (प्रातिपदिक) + mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• maghām: Maghā (nakṣatra)
• maghām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maghā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• tyajet: should avoid/should abandon
• tyajet: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned dvija instructs householders on the continuum of Vedic saṃskāras from conception to funeral rites, with Kāśī’s cremation ground implied in the background and a nakṣatra chart indicating avoidance of Maghā.

Characters & Entities

• Niṣeka
• Śmaśāna
• Maghā (Nakṣatra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dvija’s life is sanctified by Vedic saṃskāras from conception to final rites, performed with careful attention to propriety and timing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The doctrinal setting is Kāśī in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; the verse supports Kāśī’s vision of dharma as life-long sacral discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It frames the full span of Vedic rites (niṣeka through antyeṣṭi) and mentions avoiding Maghā in the relevant timing context.