Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

ख्यातः स्याद्येन विधिना सर्वत्र विधिपावनम् । नाकार्षीन्निर्गमं चास्य चतुर्थे मासि मंदधीः

Transliteration

khyātaḥ syādyena vidhinā sarvatra vidhipāvanam | nākārṣīnnirgamaṃ cāsya caturthe māsi maṃdadhīḥ

Translation

ഏതു വിധിയാൽ സർവത്ര വിധിനിയമങ്ങളാൽ പാവനനായി പ്രസിദ്ധനാകുമോ, ആ സംസ്കാരവും ആ മന്ദബുദ്ധിയായ രക്ഷകൻ അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചില്ല; നാലാം മാസത്തിൽ ശിശുവിന്റെ നിഷ്ക്രമണസംസ്കാരവും ചെയ്തില്ല।

Word by Word

• ख्यातः: well-known, famed
• ख्यातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्यात (कृदन्त; √ख्यै धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — ‘प्रसिद्धः/ख्यातः’

• स्यात्: would be / should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध/साधन-निर्देश

• विधिना: by the prescribed rite/method
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• विधिपावनम्: purifying through proper rites
• विधिपावनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधि + पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘विधिना पावनम्’/‘विधेः पावनम्’)

• न: not
• न: Kriya-nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• अकार्षीत्: did (perform)
• अकार्षीत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृष् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘अकरोत्’ इत्यर्थः

• निर्गमम्: going out / exit-rite
• निर्गमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अस्य: of him/this (child)
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• चतुर्थे: in the fourth
• चतुर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘चतुर्थे (मासि)’

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• मंदधीः: a dull-witted person
• मंदधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दधी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिसदृश-विशेषणार्थक नाम (‘मन्दा धीः यस्य’)

Speaker

Citragupta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (typical frame; not explicit here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A household scene in Kāśī: an infant kept indoors while elders debate rites; the ‘fourth-month going-out’ (niṣkramaṇa) is conspicuously absent, creating a mood of omission and foreboding.

Characters & Entities

• Citragupta
• Niṣkramaṇa (first outing rite)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual order (vidhi) is portrayed as purificatory; neglecting it is treated as a moral lapse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named; the verse is part of a karmic-judgment episode within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The fourth-month ‘going-out’ rite (niṣkramaṇa/nirgama) is referenced as not having been performed.