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Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 200

अहोरात्रं स पश्यन्वै क्षेत्रं दृष्टेरदूरगम् । प्राप्याष्टमीं च भूतां च मध्ये क्षेत्रं सदा विशेत्

ahorātraṃ sa paśyanvai kṣetraṃ dṛṣṭeradūragam | prāpyāṣṭamīṃ ca bhūtāṃ ca madhye kṣetraṃ sadā viśet

«En contemplant le Kṣetra sacré jour et nuit—si proche qu’il ne s’éloigne pas du regard—, lorsque survient l’Aṣṭamī (le huitième jour lunaire), qu’on entre toujours et demeure au cœur du Kṣetra.»

अहोरात्रम्day and night (the whole time)
अहोरात्रम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअहः (प्रातिपदिक) + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (day-and-night)
सःhe
सः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन
पश्यन्seeing
पश्यन्:
Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Root√पश् (धातु; दर्शने)
Formवर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय; present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन
वैindeed
वै:
Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (अव्यय)
Formनिश्चयार्थक-अव्यय/पादपूरण (indeed, emphatic particle)
क्षेत्रम्the sacred field/region
क्षेत्रम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootक्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन
दृष्टेःof sight/vision
दृष्टेः:
Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध-षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootदृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (genitive)
अदूरगम्not far (within sight)
अदूरगम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअदूर (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु; गत्यर्थे)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अदूरं गच्छति/अदूरे गतम् = not far); विशेषण (agreeing with क्षेत्रम्)
प्राप्यhaving reached
प्राप्य:
Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√प्राप् (धातु; प्राप्तौ)
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive: having reached)
अष्टमीम्the eighth lunar day (Aṣṭamī)
अष्टमीम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन
and
:
Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: and)
भूताम्that has come/occurred
भूताम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootभूता (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with अष्टमीम्: the Aṣṭamī that has occurred)
and
:
Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)
मध्येin the middle
मध्ये:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootमध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (locative)
क्षेत्रम्the field/region
क्षेत्रम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootक्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन
सदाalways
सदा:
Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसदा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (always)
विशेत्should enter
विशेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√विश् (धातु; प्रवेशने)
Formविधिलिङ्-लकार (optative); प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Narratorial voice within Skanda’s discourse (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (madhya-bhāga / hṛdaya)

Type: kshetra

Listener: Agastya

Scene: A pilgrim stands on a vantage point outside Kāśī, keeping the city’s spires and ghāṭs within sight through day and night; as the moon marks Aṣṭamī, the pilgrim crosses into the city’s ‘heart’ toward the central shrine.

K
Kāśī (Kṣetra)
A
Aṣṭamī (tithi)

FAQs

Sacred time (tithi) and sacred space (kṣetra) work together; intentional darśana and entry into Kāśī at auspicious times amplifies spiritual merit.

The Kāśī-kṣetra as a whole, especially its ‘madhya’ (inner sacred core).

A timing-based prescription: on Aṣṭamī, one should enter/abide within the kṣetra after keeping it in view (darśana) for a day and night.