Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

विपन्नास्तेन पुण्येन जायंते ऽत्रपुरोहिताः । अष्टम्यां च चतुर्दश्यामीशानेशं यजंति ये

Transliteration

vipannāstena puṇyena jāyaṃte 'trapurohitāḥ | aṣṭamyāṃ ca caturdaśyāmīśāneśaṃ yajaṃti ye

Translation

ആ പുണ്യത്തിന്റെ പ്രഭാവത്താൽ ദുരവസ്ഥയിൽ വീണവരും ഇവിടെ പുരോഹിതരായി ജന്മം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു. അഷ്ടമിയും ചതുര്ദശിയും തിഥികളിൽ ഈശാനേശനെ ആരാധിക്കുന്നവർ അത്തരം മംഗളഫലം നേടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• विपन्नाः: afflicted, fallen into distress
• विपन्नाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपन्न (कृदन्त; √पद् (धातु) + नि/वि उपसर्ग; भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative, Plural; adjective/PPP)

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular; pronoun)

• पुण्येन: by merit
• पुण्येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

• जायन्ते: are born
• जायन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम् (Present, Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Plural)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (indeclinable adverb of place)

• पुरोहिताः: priests
• पुरोहिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (lunar day)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; तिथिवाचक-शब्दः (Feminine, Locative, Singular; lunar day)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (lunar day)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; तिथिवाचक-शब्दः (Feminine, Locative, Singular; lunar day)

• ईशानेशम्: Īśāneśa (a form of Śiva)
• ईशानेशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशानेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• यजन्ति: worship, sacrifice to
• यजन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम् (Present, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (Masculine, Nominative, Plural; relative pronoun)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Īśāneśa/Īśāneśvara in Kāśī

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within luminous Kāśī, a devotee performs Īśāneśa worship on aṣṭamī/caturdaśī; the ‘fallen’ are shown being reborn as dignified purohitas, holding darbha and kamaṇḍalu, near a Śiva shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Īśāneśa
• Kāśī
• purohita

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī-centered Śiva worship transforms misfortune into auspicious destiny through puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), specifically the sphere of Īśāneśa worship within Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (yajana/pūjā) of Īśāneśa on Aṣṭamī and Caturdaśī tithis.