Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

स्थावरा जंगमं रूपं धृत्वा याताः सहस्रशः । महामहोत्सवे तस्मिन्बभूवाकालकौमुदी

Transliteration

sthāvarā jaṃgamaṃ rūpaṃ dhṛtvā yātāḥ sahasraśaḥ | mahāmahotsave tasminbabhūvākālakaumudī

Translation

സ്ഥാവരങ്ങളായിരുന്നവരും ജംഗമരൂപം ധരിച്ചു ആയിരങ്ങളായി അവിടെ എത്തി. ആ മഹാമഹോത്സവത്തിൽ കാലാതീതമായ ജ്യോത്സ്നപോലൊരു പ്രകാശം ഉദിച്ചുവെന്നപോലെ തോന്നി.

Word by Word

• स्थावराः: immobile beings (plants etc.)
• स्थावराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थावर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• जङ्गमम्: moving
• जङ्गमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; रूपम् इति विशेषण

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• धृत्वा: having assumed/borne
• धृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √धृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• याताः: went/arrived
• याताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त; past participle) पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; गत्यर्थक—'went/arrived'

• सहस्रशः: by the thousands
• सहस्रशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'by thousands')

• महा-महोत्सवे: in the great festival
• महा-महोत्सवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + महोत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् महोत्सवः)

• तस्मिन्: in that (occasion)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• बभूव: became/was
• बभूव: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• अकाल-कौमुदी: untimely moonlight/brightness
• अकाल-कौमुदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकाल (प्रातिपदिक) + कौमुदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (अकाले कौमुदी)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (festival night)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Trees, stones, and fixed beings take on moving forms and stream toward the festival; the night glows with an unseasonal, cool moonlit brilliance over Kāśī’s ghāṭs and temples.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāmahotsava (great festival)
• A-kāla kaumudī (unseasonal moonlight)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a supremely sacred celebration, even nature transcends ordinary limits—symbolizing that holiness awakens all beings toward dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, portrayed as the locus of a festival so powerful that cosmic and natural marvels manifest.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the verse emphasizes auspicious omens accompanying the sacred celebration.