Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

तीर्थोपवासः कर्तव्यः शिरसो मुंडनं तथा । शिरोगतानि पापानि यांति मुंडनतो यतः

Transliteration

tīrthopavāsaḥ kartavyaḥ śiraso muṃḍanaṃ tathā | śirogatāni pāpāni yāṃti muṃḍanato yataḥ

Translation

Au tīrtha, il convient d’observer le jeûne, et de même de se raser la tête ; car les péchés attachés à la tête s’en vont par l’acte du rasage.

Word by Word

• तीर्थोपवासः: fasting at a tīrtha
• तीर्थोपवासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-उपवास (प्रातिपदिक); तीर्थ + उपवास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तीर्थे उपवासः’ (fasting at a tīrtha)

• कर्तव्यः: should be done
• कर्तव्यः: Vidhi (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (तव्यत्-कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘to be done/ought to be done’

• शिरसः: of the head
• शिरसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• मुण्डनम्: shaving (of the head)
• मुण्डनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुण्डन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: also; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘also/likewise’)

• शिरोगतानि: located in the head
• शिरोगतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिरस्-गत (प्रातिपदिक); शिरस् + गत
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘शिरसि गतानि’ (gone to/located in the head)

• पापानि: sins
• पापानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यान्ति: go/vanish
• यान्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• मुण्डनतः: from shaving
• मुण्डनतः: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुण्डन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; ‘मुण्डनात्’ (from/by shaving)

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Reason marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक अव्यय (conjunction: ‘because/since’)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-tīrtha (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a ghat-side barber’s spot, a pilgrim sits calmly for head-shaving; nearby another pilgrim observes a fast, holding a water pot, with temple spires behind.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Upavāsa
• Muṇḍana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is completed by self-discipline and purification—upavāsa and muṇḍana are framed as practical means of shedding sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrthas in general as upheld in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, with the chapter’s emphasis ultimately pointing toward Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-upavāsa (fasting at the sacred place) and śiro-muṇḍana (head tonsure) as purificatory observances.