Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

आरभ्याश्वयुजःशुक्लां तिथिं प्रतिपदं शुभाम् । पूजयेन्नवमीयावन्नरश्चिंतितमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

ārabhyāśvayujaḥśuklāṃ tithiṃ pratipadaṃ śubhām | pūjayennavamīyāvannaraściṃtitamāpnuyāt

Translation

À partir de l’auspicieuse pratipadā de la quinzaine claire d’Āśvayuja, si l’homme poursuit le culte jusqu’au neuvième jour, il obtient l’objet même de son désir.

Word by Word

• आरभ्य: starting from
• आरभ्य: अपादान/आरम्भबिन्दु (Starting point)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-रभ् (धातु)
• Form: अव्यय; ल्यबन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive) — ‘beginning from’

• आश्वयुजः: of (the month) Āśvayuja
• आश्वयुजः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्वयुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; मासवाचकः

• शुक्लाम्: bright (fortnight)
• शुक्लाम्: कर्म (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तिथिम् इति विशेषणम्

• तिथिम्: lunar day
• तिथिम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रतिपदम्: the first lunar day (Pratipadā)
• प्रतिपदम्: कर्म (Apposition to तिथिम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तिथिविशेषः

• शुभाम्: auspicious
• शुभाम्: कर्म (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तिथिम्/प्रतिपदम् इति विशेषणम्

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नवमी: the ninth (lunar day)
• नवमी: अवधि (Limit)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नवमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तिथिविशेषः (in compound with यावत्)

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: अवधि (Limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिवाचक (until)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• चिन्तितम्: the desired (thing)
• चिन्तितम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिन्तित (कृदन्त; चिन्त्-धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त — ‘desired/thought-of’ (object)

• आप्नुयात्: may obtain
• आप्नुयात्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nine-day worship sequence in Kāśī during bright Āśvayuja: daily offerings of flowers, lamps, incense; pilgrims moving between ghāṭas and shrines; calendar-like progression from Pratipad to Navamī.

Characters & Entities

• Āśvayuja
• Pratipad
• Navamī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady, time-bound devotion (niyama) aligned with sacred calendrical days is said to yield focused spiritual and worldly fruition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in Kāśīkhaṇḍa, implying performance in Kāśī’s sacred domain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A worship observance from Āśvayuja-śukla Pratipadā through Navamī (a nine-day arc of pūjā).