Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

कृत्वा व्रतानि सांगानि कामिकानि विधानतः । भवंति स्वैरचारिण्यो देवभोग्या इहागताः

Transliteration

kṛtvā vratāni sāṃgāni kāmikāni vidhānataḥ | bhavaṃti svairacāriṇyo devabhogyā ihāgatāḥ

Translation

Ayant accompli selon la règle les vœux qui exaucent les désirs, avec tous leurs membres auxiliaires, elles deviennent ici des femmes allant librement, dignes d’être goûtées dans la jouissance divine.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), पूर्वकर्मसूचक

• व्रतानि: vows
• व्रतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• साङ्गानि: complete (with all rites)
• साङ्गानि: Karma (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (with limbs/with all parts = complete)

• कामिकानि: desire-fulfilling
• कामिकानि: Karma (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (desire-fulfilling/pertaining to desire)

• विधानतः: according to injunction
• विधानतः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययप्राय (विधानतः = according to rule); पञ्चमी-अर्थे

• भवन्ति: they become
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वैरचारिण्यः: free-roaming/acting at will
• स्वैरचारिण्यः: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वैर (प्रातिपदिक) + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वैरं चरन्ति = acting at will); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• देवभोग्याः: enjoyed by the gods
• देवभोग्याः: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + भोग्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (देवैः भोग्याः = to be enjoyed by gods); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (here)

• आगताः: having come
• आगताः: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुं/स्त्री?—प्रयोगे स्त्रीवाचकाः (they, feminine referents); प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (having come)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual scene: women performing a kāmya-vrata with offerings, lamps, flowers, and brāhmaṇa participation; the ‘aṅgas’ of the vow shown as symbolic items around the altar, leading to a radiant transformation into celestial enjoyment.

Characters & Entities

• Vrata
• Vidhāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When vows are performed correctly (with proper aṅgas), tradition describes tangible ‘phala’—worldly and heavenly enjoyments—as karmic outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Varanasi’s sacred corpus), but the verse itself centers on vow-performance and its fruits.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform kāmya-vratas ‘with all aṅgas’ and according to vidhāna (scriptural procedure).