Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

सप्तमेथाष्टमेवाब्दे सावित्रीं ब्राह्मणोर्हति । नृपस्त्वेकादशे वैश्यो द्वादशे वा यथाकुलम्

Transliteration

saptamethāṣṭamevābde sāvitrīṃ brāhmaṇorhati | nṛpastvekādaśe vaiśyo dvādaśe vā yathākulam

Translation

ഏഴാം അല്ലെങ്കിൽ എട്ടാം വർഷത്തിൽ ബ്രാഹ്മണന് സാവിത്രി (ഉപനയനം) സ്വീകരിക്കാൻ യോഗ്യതയുണ്ട്. ക്ഷത്രിയൻ (നൃപൻ) പതിനൊന്നാം വർഷത്തിൽ, വൈശ്യൻ പന്ത്രണ്ടാം വർഷത്തിൽ—അഥവാ കുലാചാരപ്രകാരം.

Word by Word

• saptame: in the seventh
• saptame: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• atha: then
• atha: Kriya-visheshana (Sequencer/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर-अव्यय (then)

• aṣṭame: in the eighth
• aṣṭame: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• abde: in the year
• abde: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• sāvitrīm: the Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī initiation/recitation)
• sāvitrīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāvitrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• brāhmaṇaḥ: a brāhmaṇa
• brāhmaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• arhati: is entitled/should receive
• arhati: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present indicative), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• nṛpaḥ: a kṣatriya/king
• nṛpaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• tu: but
• tu: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेष-अव्यय (but)

• ekādaśe: in the eleventh
• ekādaśe: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ekādaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• vaiśyaḥ: a vaiśya
• vaiśyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• dvādaśe: in the twelfth
• dvādaśe: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• vā: or
• vā: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (or)

• yathā-kulam: according to family custom
• yathā-kulam: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्यय-प्रयोग (indeclinable adverbial)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Upanayana ceremony: a boy with shaved head tuft, wearing yajñopavīta, receiving Sāvitrī/Gāyatrī instruction from guru; sacred fire, staff (daṇḍa), deer-skin, and a Kāśī ghat/temple silhouette behind.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī)
• Brāhmaṇa
• Kṣatriya (Nṛpa)
• Vaiśya
• Upanayana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Initiation into Vedic discipline (Sāvitrī/upanayana) is time-bound and duty-oriented, forming the basis for dharmic life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered dharma teaching, not to the praise of a single named shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upanayana/Sāvitrī eligibility: brāhmaṇa in year 7 or 8; kṣatriya in year 11; vaiśya in year 12, with allowance for family custom.