Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

नभस्य पंचदश्यां च कुलस्तंभं समर्चयेत् । दुःखं रुद्रपिशाचत्वं न भवेद्यस्य पूजनात्

Transliteration

nabhasya paṃcadaśyāṃ ca kulastaṃbhaṃ samarcayet | duḥkhaṃ rudrapiśācatvaṃ na bhavedyasya pūjanāt

Translation

Pada hari kelima belas bulan Nabhas, hendaknya memuja Kulastambha dengan tata cara yang benar; dengan pemujaannya, duka dan keadaan dikuasai Rudra-piśāca tidak akan timbul.

Word by Word

• नभस्य: of Nabhas (month)
• नभस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; मासवाचक (of the month Nabhas)

• पञ्चदश्याम्: on the fifteenth lunar day
• पञ्चदश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time locus/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• कुलस्तम्भम्: the pillar of the lineage (Kulastambha)
• कुलस्तम्भम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल-स्तम्भ (प्रातिपदिक; कुल + स्तम्भ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुलस्य स्तम्भः)

• समर्चयेत्: should worship
• समर्चयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दुःखम्: sorrow
• दुःखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• रुद्रपिशाचत्वम्: state of being a Rudra-ghoul
• रुद्रपिशाचत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र-पिशाचत्व (प्रातिपदिक; रुद्र + पिशाचत्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रपिशाचस्य भावः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक (negation particle)

• भवेत्: would occur/be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यस्य: of whom/whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• पूजनात्: from (his) worship
• पूजनात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (because of)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kulastambha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On Bhādrapada Pūrṇimā night, devotees worship a sacred pillar-shrine (Kulastambha) with lamps, flowers, and protective mantras; the atmosphere is calm yet vigilant against unseen afflictions.

Characters & Entities

• Nabhas (Bhādrapada)
• Pañcadaśī (15th tithi)
• Kulastambha
• Rudra-piśāca
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time-specific worship (kāla-dharma) in Kāśī is taught as spiritually protective, dispelling suffering and harmful influences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kulastambha—treated as a revered sacred presence within Kāśī’s ritual geography, especially honored on Nabhas pañcadaśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform samarcana (formal worship) of Kulastambha on the 15th lunar day of the month Nabhas (Bhādrapada).