Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

औपनायनिकः कालो ब्रह्मक्षत्र विशां परः । आ षोडशादाद्वाविंशादा चतुर्विंशदब्दतः

Transliteration

aupanāyanikaḥ kālo brahmakṣatra viśāṃ paraḥ | ā ṣoḍaśādādvāviṃśādā caturviṃśadabdataḥ

Translation

ಉಪನಯನಕ್ಕೆ ಯೋಗ್ಯ ಕಾಲ—ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣನಿಗೆ ಹದಿನಾರು ವರ್ಷಗಳವರೆಗೆ, ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯನಿಗೆ ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತೆರಡು ವರ್ಷಗಳವರೆಗೆ, ವೈಶ್ಯನಿಗೆ ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತನಾಲ್ಕು ವರ್ಷಗಳವರೆಗೆ ಎಂದು ನಿಗದಿಯಾಗಿದೆ.

Word by Word

• औपनायनिकः: relating to upanayana
• औपनायनिकः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: औपनायनिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘pertaining to upanayana’

• कालः: time/age
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ब्रह्म: (for) a Brahmin
• ब्रह्म: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; समासभङ्गे ‘ब्राह्मणस्य’ (for a Brahmin)

• क्षत्र: (for) a Kshatriya
• क्षत्र: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासभङ्गे ‘क्षत्रियस्य’ (for a Kshatriya)

• विशाम्: of the Vaiśyas
• विशाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘of the Vaiśyas’

• परः: the upper limit
• परः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘supreme/upper/limit’—here ‘the (respective) upper limit’

• आ: up to
• आ: Avadhi (Limit marker/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधि/पर्यन्तवाचक-अव्ययम् (up to)

• षोडशात्: from sixteen
• षोडशात्: Avadhi (Lower bound/अवधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षोडश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; ‘from sixteen (years)’ (ablative used with ā as range)

• आ: up to
• आ: Avadhi (Limit marker/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधि/पर्यन्तवाचक-अव्ययम् (up to)

• द्वाविंशात्: from twenty-two
• द्वाविंशात्: Avadhi (Lower bound/अवधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वाविंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; ‘from twenty-two’

• आ: up to
• आ: Avadhi (Limit marker/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधि/पर्यन्तवाचक-अव्ययम् (up to)

• चतुर्विंशत्: twenty-four
• चतुर्विंशत्: Avadhi (Upper bound/अवधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्विंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (संख्याशब्दः); ‘twenty-four’

• अब्दतः: in years
• अब्दतः: Sambandha (Measure/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; ‘from years/with respect to years’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traditional upanayana ceremony: a boy receives yajñopavīta from an elder, with guru present; Vedic fire, staff (daṇḍa), and begging bowl; Kāśī’s scholastic atmosphere suggested by palm-leaf manuscripts and temple spires.

Characters & Entities

• Upanayana
• Brāhmaṇa
• Kṣatriya
• Vaiśya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Saṃskāras must be performed in their proper season; timely initiation safeguards dharma and learning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharma-context for Kāśī, though no specific tirtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upanayana timing is prescribed with upper age thresholds for the three varṇas mentioned.