Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

यस्तु मासं वसेद्धीरो लघ्वाहारो जितेंद्रियः । सर्वं तेन व्रतं चीर्णं दिव्यं पाशुपतं भवेत्

Transliteration

yastu māsaṃ vaseddhīro laghvāhāro jiteṃdriyaḥ | sarvaṃ tena vrataṃ cīrṇaṃ divyaṃ pāśupataṃ bhavet

Translation

ധീരനായി, ലഘ്വാഹാരത്തോടെ, ഇന്ദ്രിയനിഗ്രഹത്തോടെ ആരെങ്കിലും കാശി (അവിമുക്ത) യിൽ ഒരു മാസം വസിച്ചാൽ—അവൻ അതിനാൽ തന്നേ എല്ലാ വ്രതങ്ങളും അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചവനാകുന്നു; ആ വ്രതം ദിവ്യമായ പാശുപതമായി ശിവപ്രസാദകരമാകും।

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• मासम्: a month
• मासम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• वसेत्: should dwell
• वसेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धीरेः: steadfast
• धीरेः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• लघु-आहारः: of light diet
• लघु-आहारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लघु (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारयार्थे तत्पुरुषः (light as food / having light diet)

• जित-इन्द्रियः: self-controlled
• जित-इन्द्रियः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (कृदन्त; √जि) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुषः (indriyas conquered)

• सर्वम्: entire/whole
• सर्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र कर्म/विशेष्य-सम्बन्धे

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• व्रतम्: vow/observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चीर्णम्: performed/observed
• चीर्णम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर् (धातु) → चीर्ण (कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्तान्त-विशेषण (performed)

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पाशुपतम्: Pāśupata (of Śiva)
• पाशुपतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाशुपत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भवेत्: would become/is deemed
• भवेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Not specified in the provided excerpt

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A restrained pilgrim-resident in Kāśī, simple attire, minimal food, calm gaze; behind him the ghāṭs and a Śiva-liṅga shrine, suggesting that disciplined residence itself is Pāśupata-vrata.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta (Kāśī)
• Paśupati (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disciplined residence in Kāśī with sense-control is itself a complete, Śiva-pleasing vow.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra—Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), the unforsaken sacred field of Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A month-long stay with light diet (laghvāhāra) and restraint of the senses (jitendriya).