Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

शनिप्रदोषे संपूज्य लिंगं चंद्रेश्वराह्वयम् । नक्तं कृत्वा त्रयोदश्यां नियमं परिगृह्य च

Transliteration

śanipradoṣe saṃpūjya liṃgaṃ caṃdreśvarāhvayam | naktaṃ kṛtvā trayodaśyāṃ niyamaṃ parigṛhya ca

Translation

ശനി പ്രദോഷത്തിൽ ‘ചന്ദ്രേശ്വര’ എന്ന ലിംഗത്തെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം പൂജിച്ച്, ത്രയോദശിയിൽ നക്തവ്രതം ആചരിച്ച്, നിയമങ്ങൾ സ്വീകരിച്ച് വ്രതം ഏറ്റെടുക്കണം.

Word by Word

• शनि: Saturn; Saturday
• शनि: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रातिपदिकम्; समासाङ्ग

• प्रदोषे: at the (Saturday) pradoṣa time
• प्रदोषे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्; समासः शनि-प्रदोषे (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोगः: Saturday-evening)

• सम्पूज्य: having duly worshipped
• सम्पूज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+√पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) अव्ययभावः; "having worshipped"

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्

• चन्द्रेश्वर: Candreśvara
• चन्द्रेश्वर: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रातिपदिकम्; समासः चन्द्रस्य ईश्वरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) समासाङ्ग

• आह्वयम्: named, called
• आह्वयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आह्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (named/called)

• नक्तम्: (the) nakta observance (night-meal)
• नक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नक्त (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; उपवासभेदे (night-only meal/fasting by night)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) अव्ययभावः; "having done"

• त्रयोदश्याम्: on the thirteenth lunar day
• त्रयोदश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयोदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्

• नियमम्: a vow, restraint
• नियमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्

• परिगृह्य: having undertaken
• परिगृह्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि+√ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) अव्ययभावः; "having undertaken/accepted"

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

Speaker

Śiva (Maheśāna)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Candreśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Soma (Candra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Saturday pradoṣa at Candreśvara: twilight sky, lamps lit, priest bathing the liṅga with water/milk, devotees holding bilva leaves, a vow being taken with folded hands; later, a simple night meal (nakta) after worship.

Characters & Entities

• Candreśvara-liṅga
• Śani (Saturday)
• Pradoṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-bhakti is strengthened through regulated vrata-discipline aligned with pradoṣa and tithi observances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Candreśvara-liṅga in Kāśī, approached through pradoṣa worship and tithi-based vrata.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship Candreśvara at Śani-pradoṣa, observe nakta on trayodaśī, and undertake niyamas (vow-restraints).