Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

काश्यां माघः प्रयागे यैर्न स्नातो मकरार्कगः । अरुणोदयमासाद्य तेषां निःश्रेयसं कुतः

Transliteration

kāśyāṃ māghaḥ prayāge yairna snāto makarārkagaḥ | aruṇodayamāsādya teṣāṃ niḥśreyasaṃ kutaḥ

Translation

Comment la béatitude ultime viendrait-elle à ceux qui, au mois de Māgha, lorsque le Soleil est en Makara, ne se sont pas baignés à l’aube sacrée à Prayāga, bien qu’ils aient atteint l’heure du lever du jour ?

Word by Word

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• माघः: the month Māgha
• माघः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मासवाचकः

• प्रयागे: in Prayāga
• प्रयागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• यैः: by whom (those who)
• यैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्ता-सम्बन्धे), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे ‘by whom/for whom’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• स्नातः: has bathed
• स्नातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘स्नातः’ = ‘has bathed’

• मकरार्कगः: when the sun is in Capricorn (Makara)
• मकरार्कगः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मकर + अर्क + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मकरस्य अर्कः = मकरार्कः; तत्र गः)

• अरुणोदयम्: dawn
• अरुणोदयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरुण + उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अरुणस्य उदयः)

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-√सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (ल्यप्), पूर्वकालिक क्रियाविशेषण; ‘having reached/after attaining’

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• निःश्रेयसम्: final good/liberation
• निःश्रेयसम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निःश्रेयस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुतः: how/whence
• कुतः: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb: ‘whence/how’)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga (Māgha-aruṇodaya snāna)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience seeking niḥśreyasa; pilgrims comparing Kāśī and Prayāga observances

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pre-dawn at Prayāga: pale horizon, pilgrims descending ghat steps with water pots; the sun just about to rise; a didactic tone suggests missed opportunity for those who do not bathe.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Prayāga
• Māgha
• Makara (Capricorn)
• Aruṇodaya (dawn)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Timely observance matters: Māgha-dawn bathing at Prayāga is upheld as a powerful discipline leading toward the highest good.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga, especially for the Māgha season dawn-bath (aruṇodaya snāna).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing at Prayāga at dawn during Māgha when the Sun is in Makara (Makara-saṅkrānti season).