Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

अंगारक चतुर्थ्यां ये स्नात्वोत्तरवहांभसि । अभ्यर्च्यांगारकेशानं नमस्यंति नरोत्तमाः

Transliteration

aṃgāraka caturthyāṃ ye snātvottaravahāṃbhasi | abhyarcyāṃgārakeśānaṃ namasyaṃti narottamāḥ

Translation

അംഗാരക ചതുര്ഥി നാളിൽ ഉത്തരവാഹാ ജലത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത്, അംഗാരകേശനെ അഭ്യർചിച്ച് ഭക്തിയോടെ നമസ്കരിക്കുന്ന നരോത്തമർ—

Word by Word

• अङ्गारक: Aṅgāraka (Mars)
• अङ्गारक: Sambandha (Qualifier of caturthyām; intended ‘Aṅgāraka-caturthyām’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा एकवचन (पाठभेदे; ‘Aṅgāraka-caturthyām’ इति समासाभावेन पृथक्)

• चतुर्थ्याम्: on the fourth lunar day (caturthī)
• चतुर्थ्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्थी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), धातुः √स्ना (to bathe)

• उत्तरवहाम्भसि: in the waters of Uttaravahā (river)
• उत्तरवहाम्भसि: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तरवहा + अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुष (उत्तरं वहति इति उत्तरवहा + अम्भसि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-र्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), उपसर्गः अभि-, धातुः √अर्च् (to worship)

• अङ्गारकेशानम्: Aṅgārakeśāna (Śiva as lord of Aṅgāraka)
• अङ्गारकेशानम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गारक + ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अङ्गारकस्य ईशानः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• नमस्यन्ति: salute/bow to
• नमस्यन्ति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस्-य (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; धातुः √नमस्/√नम् (to bow, salute) + य-प्रत्यय (denominative)

• नरोत्तमाः: the best of men
• नरोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject; apposition to ye)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारय (उत्तमाः नराः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Uttaravahā (Kāśī) and Aṅgārakeśvara

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at dawn on Aṅgāraka Caturthī bathe in the north-flowing Gaṅgā reach, then proceed with offerings to Aṅgārakeśvara, hands folded in reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Aṅgārakeśa/Aṅgārakeśvara (Śiva)
• Aṅgāraka (Maṅgala)
• Uttaravahā (north-flowing tīrtha/stream)
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy time (parva) joined to holy place (tīrtha) and right worship yields swift purification and divine protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Uttaravahā, a north-flowing sacred watercourse in Kāśī, together with the shrine of Aṅgārakeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

On Aṅgāraka Caturthī: snāna in Uttaravahā waters, then abhyarcana (worship) and namaskāra to Aṅgārakeśa.