Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

चैत्रकृष्णप्रतिपदं समारभ्य प्रयत्नतः । आ चतुर्दशिपूज्यानि लिंगान्येतानि सत्तमैः

Transliteration

caitrakṛṣṇapratipadaṃ samārabhya prayatnataḥ | ā caturdaśipūjyāni liṃgānyetāni sattamaiḥ

Translation

«En commençant avec soin dès le premier jour lunaire de la quinzaine sombre de Caitra, ces Liṅga doivent être adorés avec ardeur jusqu’au quatorzième jour, par les meilleurs des dévots.»

Word by Word

• चैत्रकृष्णप्रतिपदम्: the Pratipad (1st lunar day) of the dark fortnight of Caitra
• चैत्रकृष्णप्रतिपदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्र + कृष्ण + प्रतिपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (प्रतिपद्), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालवाचकं पदम् (time-expression)

• समारभ्य: having begun
• समारभ्य: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-रभ् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभाव-रूप (gerund/absolutive), क्रियाविशेषण

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort, diligently
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb in -tas), प्रकारवाचक

• आ: up to
• आ: Desha-Kala-adhikarana (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधि/पर्यन्तबोधक-अव्यय (up to)

• चतुर्दशि: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• चतुर्दशि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशिन्/चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक (on the fourteenth lunar day)

• पूज्यानि: to be worshipped
• पूज्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त; √पूज् धातु + यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/नीयतुल्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• सत्तमैः: by the best (men)
• सत्तमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; superlative of सत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; कर्तृकरणे (by)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caitra-kṛṣṇa Caturdaśa Mahāliṅga-pūjā (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni/sage audience (implied continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calendar-like procession: fourteen panels from pratipadā to caturdaśī, each showing a pilgrim offering water and bilva at a different Kāśī liṅga; a crescent moon wanes across the top to mark the dark fortnight of Caitra.

Characters & Entities

• Caitra
• Kṛṣṇa Pratipadā
• Caturdaśī
• Liṅga worship
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disciplined, day-by-day worship aligned with sacred time magnifies the merit of Kāśī pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s set of fourteen revered Śiva-liṅga shrines, worshipped as a unified circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A timed observance: worship from Caitra dark-fortnight Pratipadā through Caturdaśī, performed with diligence by devotees.