Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

षष्ठ्यष्टम्योर्वसेत्पापं तैले मांसे सदैव हि । पंचदश्यां चतुर्दश्यां तथैव च भगेक्षुरे

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭhyaṣṭamyorvasetpāpaṃ taile māṃse sadaiva hi | paṃcadaśyāṃ caturdaśyāṃ tathaiva ca bhagekṣure

Translation

ഷഷ്ഠി, അഷ്ടമി തിഥികളിൽ പാപം എണ്ണയിലും മാംസത്തിലും വസിക്കുന്നു എന്നു പറയുന്നു. അതുപോലെ ചതുര്ദശി, പഞ്ചദശി തിഥികളിലും, കാമഭോഗത്തിലും പാപവാസമെന്ന് കണക്കാക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• षष्ठी-अष्टम्योः: on the sixth and eighth (tithis)
• षष्ठी-अष्टम्योः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (समाहार/इतरेतर)

• वसेत्: should dwell/abide
• वसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचन

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• तैले: in oil
• तैले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• मांसे: in meat
• मांसे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम्

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (emphatic particle)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपातः

• पञ्चदश्याम्: on the fifteenth (tithi)
• पञ्चदश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम्

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपातः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• भगेक्षुरे: in/at Bhagekṣura (a place/name)
• भगेक्षुरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भग (प्रातिपदिक) + इक्षुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; देश/वस्तुवाचक-समासपदम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/householders seeking rules of conduct

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calendar-like sacred-time tableau: a pilgrim declines meat and oil offerings on specified lunar days, choosing fruits, milk, and ghee-lamp worship; a subtle moon-phase motif frames the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Tithi (lunar days): Ṣaṣṭhī, Aṣṭamī, Caturdaśī, Pañcadaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain lunar days call for heightened restraint; self-control protects purity and dharmic merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rule appears in Kāśī-khaṇḍa, reflecting the disciplined vrata-culture associated with Kashi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observe tithi-based restraint: avoid oil and meat on Ṣaṣṭhī/Aṣṭamī, and practice sexual restraint especially around Caturdaśī/Pañcadaśī.