Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ज्येष्ठशुक्लचतुर्दश्यां सोमवारानुराधयोः । तत्पर्वणि महायात्रा कर्तव्या तत्र मानवैः

Transliteration

jyeṣṭhaśuklacaturdaśyāṃ somavārānurādhayoḥ | tatparvaṇi mahāyātrā kartavyā tatra mānavaiḥ

Translation

Au quatorzième jour de la quinzaine claire de Jyeṣṭha—lorsque c’est un lundi et sous l’astre Anurādhā (nakṣatra)—en cette fête sacrée, les hommes doivent y accomplir la grande pèlerinage.

Word by Word

• ज्येष्ठ-शुक्ल-चतुर्दश्याम्: on the 14th (tithi) of the bright fortnight of Jyeṣṭha
• ज्येष्ठ-शुक्ल-चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyeṣṭha + śukla + caturdaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला (ज्येष्ठमासस्य शुक्लपक्षस्य चतुर्दशी)

• सोमवार-अनुराधयोः: of Monday and (the nakṣatra) Anurādhā
• सोमवार-अनुराधयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: somavāra + anurādhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (द्वन्द्वे समाहार/इतरेतर; रूपं द्विवचनस्य स्थाने षष्ठी-द्विवचनम्), षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), द्विवचनम्; समासः—द्वन्द्वः; (सोमवारस्य च अनुराधायाश्च)

• तत्-पर्वणि: on that festival/occasion
• तत्-पर्वणि: Adhikaraṇa (Time/occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad + parvan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तत् पर्व)

• महायात्रा: a great pilgrimage/procession
• महायात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः

• कर्तव्या: to be done / must be performed
• कर्तव्या: Kriyā (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु) (तव्यत्-कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विधिलिङ्गार्थक कृदन्तः (gerundive/obligatory); स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विधेय-विशेषणम् (महायात्रा)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb: there)

• मानवैः: by people/men
• मानवैः: Kartr̥ (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-प्रयोगे)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda (narrator, contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (mahāyātrā at the specified parvan)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A proclamation of the ideal festival timing for a great pilgrimage: bright fortnight 14th of Jyeṣṭha, Monday, Anurādhā—suggesting crowds moving through ghāṭas and temples under auspicious skies.

Characters & Entities

• Jyeṣṭha (month)
• Anurādhā (nakṣatra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time amplifies sacred place: aligning pilgrimage with auspicious tithi, weekday, and nakṣatra is presented as dharmically potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a ‘there’ within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s pilgrimage setting—understood as Kāśī’s sacred circuit/mahāyātrā context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform a mahā-yātrā (great pilgrimage/procession) on Jyeṣṭha bright caturdaśī when it coincides with Monday and Anurādhā nakṣatra.