Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

प्रतिसंवत्सरं तस्याः कार्या यात्रा प्रयत्नतः । शारदं नवरात्रं च सकुटुंबैः शुभार्थिभिः

Transliteration

pratisaṃvatsaraṃ tasyāḥ kāryā yātrā prayatnataḥ | śāradaṃ navarātraṃ ca sakuṭuṃbaiḥ śubhārthibhiḥ

Translation

Chaque année, son vœu de pèlerinage doit être accompli avec soin —surtout durant le Navarātra d’automne— par ceux qui recherchent l’auspice, avec leurs familles.

Word by Word

• pratisaṃvatsaram: every year
• pratisaṃvatsaram: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati + saṃvatsara (अव्ययीभाव)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभाव-समास; कालवाचक (every year)

• tasyāḥ: of her
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• kāryā: should be performed
• kāryā: Karya (कार्य/vidheya)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भाव्य-विशेषण (gerundive sense: ‘to be done’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• yātrā: pilgrimage/journey (rite)
• yātrā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prayatnataḥ: with effort
• prayatnataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prayatnataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त क्रियाविशेषण (with effort/diligently)

• śāradam: autumnal
• śāradam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (autumnal)

• navarātram: Navarātra
• navarātram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nava (प्रातिपदिक) + rātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• sakuṭumbaiḥ: together with (their) families
• sakuṭumbaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) + kuṭumba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अव्ययीभाव-प्राय प्रयोग: ‘स-’ (with) + kuṭumba; ‘with (one’s) family’

• śubhārthibhiḥ: by those seeking auspiciousness
• śubhārthibhiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक) + arthin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: śubham arthayate iti (one who seeks auspiciousness)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Durgā-yātrā within Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A family group arriving in Kāśī during Śārada Navarātra: carrying bundles, offerings, and lamps; city banners and festival colors; the family stands before Durgā’s shrine taking sankalpa for the annual yātrā.

Characters & Entities

• Durgā
• Śārada Navarātra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspiciousness is cultivated through recurring sacred travel and collective, family-based religious discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Durgā-centered sacred circuit (yātrā) is implied within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform an annual yātrā connected to Durgā, with emphasis on the Śārada (autumn) Navarātra.