Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

शरत्काले महापूजां तत्र कृत्वा विधानतः । हवींषि हुत्वा मंत्रज्ञो महतीं सिद्धिमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

śaratkāle mahāpūjāṃ tatra kṛtvā vidhānataḥ | havīṃṣi hutvā maṃtrajño mahatīṃ siddhimāpnuyāt

Translation

ശരത്കാലത്തിൽ അവിടെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം മഹാപൂജ നടത്തി, മന്ത്രജ്ഞൻ അഗ്നിയിൽ ഹവ്യാഹുതികൾ അർപ്പിച്ചാൽ മഹാസിദ്ധി പ്രാപിക്കും।

Word by Word

• शरत्काले: in the autumn season
• शरत्काले: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरत् + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; शरत्काल-शब्दः (समासः: शरत्-कालः)

• महापूजाम्: a great worship
• महापूजाम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; महा+पूजा (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: पूर्वकालक्रिया (पूर्वकर्म/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); कृ-धातोः

• विधानतः: according to the prescribed method
• विधानतः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (adverbial) — ‘according to rule’

• हवींषि: oblations
• हवींषि: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; हविस्-शब्दः

• हुत्वा: having offered (into fire)
• हुत्वा: पूर्वकालक्रिया (पूर्वकर्म/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); हु-धातोः

• मन्त्रज्ञः: one who knows the mantras
• मन्त्रज्ञः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; मन्त्र-ज्ञ (मन्त्रान् जानाति इति)

• महतीम्: great
• महतीम्: कर्म (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सिद्धिम् इति विशेषणम्

• सिद्धिम्: attainment/success
• सिद्धिम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आप्नुयात्: may obtain
• आप्नुयात्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Autumn in Kāśī: a devotee performs a grand pūjā before a Śiva-liṅga, then tends a homa-kuṇḍa with steady flames; priests recite mantras; lamps and marigolds, Gaṅgā ghāṭa ambience in the background.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual performed with scriptural method and mantra-competence at a sacred place matures into ‘siddhi’—effective spiritual fruition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks of worship ‘there’ within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context—i.e., Kāśī/Varanasi and its sanctified ritual sphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mahāpūjā performed vidhānataḥ (per injunction) along with havis-offerings in a homa by a mantra-knower.