Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

शर्वरीमध्य यामौ यौ हुतशेषं च यद्धविः । तत्र स्वपंस्तदश्नंश्च ब्राह्मणो नावसीदति

Transliteration

śarvarīmadhya yāmau yau hutaśeṣaṃ ca yaddhaviḥ | tatra svapaṃstadaśnaṃśca brāhmaṇo nāvasīdati

Translation

Les deux veilles du milieu de la nuit, et le reste de l’oblation (havis) après l’offrande : en dormant alors et en mangeant ce reste sanctifié, un brāhmaṇa ne tombe pas dans l’infortune.

Word by Word

• शर्वरीमध्य: in the middle of the night
• शर्वरीमध्य: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्वरी + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थे अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः: शर्वर्याः मध्ये (in the middle of the night)

• यामौ: two watches (of time)
• यामौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), द्विवचनम् (Dual)

• यौ: which (two)
• यौ: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, द्विवचनम् (Dual)

• हुतशेषम्: the remainder after oblation
• हुतशेषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुत + शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः: हुतस्य शेषम् (the remainder of the offering)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (relative pronoun)

• हविः: oblation/food offering
• हविः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb: 'there/in that situation')

• स्वपन्: sleeping
• स्वपन्: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वप् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः वर्तमान-कृदन्तः (present active participle), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• अश्नन्: eating
• अश्नन्: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः वर्तमान-कृदन्तः (present active participle), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• अवसीदति: sinks/falls into distress
• अवसीदति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-सीद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night in Kāśī: a quiet household altar with dying embers of a homa; a brāhmaṇa rests during the middle watches; at dawn he partakes of a small portion of havis-śeṣa with reverence. The city sleeps; distant ghāṭ lamps flicker.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A disciplined life connected to yajña—proper rest and consuming sanctified remnants—supports steadiness and prevents decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction sits within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa setting; it is a conduct-rule rather than a tīrtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Homa/yajña practice and the consumption of huta-śeṣa (consecrated remainder) as part of dharmic discipline.