Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सद्यः प्रक्षालको वा स्यादथवा माससंचयी । त्रिषड्द्वादशमासान्नफलमूलादिसंग्रही

Transliteration

sadyaḥ prakṣālako vā syādathavā māsasaṃcayī | triṣaḍdvādaśamāsānnaphalamūlādisaṃgrahī

Translation

Il peut être de ceux qui recueillent et consomment la nourriture le jour même, ou de ceux qui amassent pour un mois; ou encore rassembler des provisions de grains, fruits, racines et autres pour trois, six ou douze mois.

Word by Word

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• प्रक्षालकः: one who washes/cleans (immediately)
• प्रक्षालकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र-क्षल् (धातु) + ण्वुल्/अक (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय, agent noun)
• Form: कर्तरि कृदन्त (agent noun), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

• स्यात्: may be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or else)

• माससंचयी: one who stores for a month
• माससंचयी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक) + संचयी (चि धातु + णिनि/ई, कृदन्त-प्राय)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—मासस्य संचयी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• त्रिषड्द्वादशमास: (for) three, six, or twelve months
• त्रिषड्द्वादशमास: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + षट् (संख्या) + द्वादश (संख्या) + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याद्वन्द्व-समासः (त्रि-षट्-द्वादश) + मास; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying संग्रही)

• अन्नफलमूलादि: food, fruits, roots, and the like
• अन्नफलमूलादि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न + फल + मूल + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समुच्चय-समासः; (food, fruits, roots, etc.) प्रातिपदिक-समूह; समासपूर्वपद; (समस्तपदं संग्रही इत्यनेन सम्बद्धम्)

• संग्रही: collector/storer (of food etc.)
• संग्रही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्-ग्रह् (धातु) + णिनि/ई (कृदन्त, agent noun)
• Form: कर्तरि कृदन्त (agent noun), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—अन्नफलमूलादेः संग्रही (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence-like depiction: the same ascetic shown in three panels—gathering and eating the same day; storing a small monthly jar; arranging bundles for 3/6/12 months—each with the Ganga and ghats constant behind him.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Modes of subsistence

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity is adaptable but regulated: one may follow stricter or looser storage practices while remaining within dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is directly named; the teaching appears in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s ethical-ritual instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Permissible modes of collecting/storing food for a vānaprastha: same-day use, monthly storage, or 3/6/12-month collection.