Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

दर्शाष्टकासु भूतायां श्राद्धिकं प्रतिगृह्य च । प्रतिपद्यपि पूर्णायां गजोष्ट्राभ्यां कृतांतरे

Transliteration

darśāṣṭakāsu bhūtāyāṃ śrāddhikaṃ pratigṛhya ca | pratipadyapi pūrṇāyāṃ gajoṣṭrābhyāṃ kṛtāṃtare

Translation

ദർശാ, അഷ്ടകാ തിഥികളിൽ, ഭൂതാ (അശുഭ) ദിനത്തിൽ, ശ്രാദ്ധദാനം സ്വീകരിച്ചതിന് ശേഷം, കൂടാതെ പൗർണ്ണമിക്കു ശേഷമുള്ള പ്രതിപദയിൽ—ആനയും ഒട്ടകവും മൂലം തടസ്സം സംഭവിച്ചാൽ—അത് അനധ്യായകാലം; വേദാധ്യയനം നിർത്തണം.

Word by Word

• दर्शाष्टकासु: on the Darśa-aṣṭakā days
• दर्शाष्टकासु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्श + अष्टका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; ‘दर्श’सम्बद्धासु ‘अष्टकासु’ (locative plural)

• भूतायाम्: when it has occurred
• भूतायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु) → भूत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; भूत (past passive participle) = ‘occurred/being’

• श्राद्धिकम्: the śrāddha offering/food
• श्राद्धिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्धिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• प्रतिगृह्य: having accepted
• प्रतिगृह्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः; ‘having accepted/received’

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

• प्रतिपद्य: having gone/attained
• प्रतिपद्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + पद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having gone/entered/attained’

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थे (also/even)

• पूर्णायाम्: on the full (moon) day
• पूर्णायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘पूर्णा’ (full/complete)

• गजोष्ट्राभ्याम्: by/with an elephant and a camel
• गजोष्ट्राभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + उष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वः = गजौ च उष्ट्रौ च (instrumental dual)

• कृतान्तरे: in a situation where an interval has been made
• कृतान्तरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘कृत-अन्तर’ = ‘made a gap/interval’ (locative)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic student in Kāśī pauses recitation on a tithi-marked day; nearby a śrāddha setting with piṇḍa offerings and a quiet ghat atmosphere, indicating the shift from study to observance of restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Maintain reverence for Vedic learning by observing prescribed ‘non-study’ times, especially around Śrāddha and inauspicious occasions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to the Kāśī-khaṇḍa tradition, framing dharma for those living in or connected to Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references Śrāddha-related offerings and indicates that certain lunar days/omens create an anadhyāya (prohibition) for recitation/study.