Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ज्येष्ठे मासि सिताष्टम्यां तत्र कार्यो महोत्सवः । रात्रौ जागरणं कार्यं सर्वसंपत्समृद्धये

Transliteration

jyeṣṭhe māsi sitāṣṭamyāṃ tatra kāryo mahotsavaḥ | rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ kāryaṃ sarvasaṃpatsamṛddhaye

Translation

Au mois de Jyeṣṭha, au huitième tithi de la quinzaine claire, qu’on y célèbre une grande fête. La nuit, qu’on observe la veille sacrée, afin que s’épanouisse toute prospérité.

Word by Word

• ज्येष्ठे: in (the month of) Jyeṣṭha
• ज्येष्ठे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; (मास-विशेषणरूपेण)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• सिता: bright (fortnight)
• सिता: Adhikarana (Time qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; (अष्टमी-विशेषणम्)

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (lunar day)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• कार्यः: should be done; is to be performed
• कार्यः: Karta (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त; √कृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भविष्यत्कृदन्त (यत्), विधेय/कर्तव्य-अर्थः ('to be done')

• महोत्सवः: a great festival
• महोत्सवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् उत्सवः)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• जागरणम्: keeping vigil; wakefulness
• जागरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• कार्यम्: is to be done
• कार्यम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त; √कृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भविष्यत्कृदन्त (यत्), विधेय/कर्तव्य-अर्थः

• सर्वसंपत्समृद्धये: for the prosperity of all wealth
• सर्वसंपत्समृद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + संपत् + समृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; समासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वासां संपदां समृद्धिः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa context, Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jyeṣṭheśvara (with Jyeṣṭhā-Gaurī)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand festival at the shrine: decorated mandapa, garlands, lamps, musicians; through the night devotees keep vigil with singing and circumambulation, the liṅga and Devī shrine glowing in lamplight.

Characters & Entities

• Jyeṣṭha month
• Śukla Aṣṭamī
• Jyeṣṭheśvara/Jyeṣṭhasthāna (implied)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (tithi and month) amplifies sacred place; disciplined vigil and celebration are framed as dharmic prosperity-makers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Jyeṣṭhasthāna/Jyeṣṭheśvara area in Kāśī, where the festival is to be observed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hold a mahotsava on Jyeṣṭha śukla aṣṭamī and observe night-long jāgaraṇa.