Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

कृष्णपक्षस्य भूतायामुपवासी नरोत्तमः । तत्र जागरणं कृत्वा महतीं सिद्धिमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

kṛṣṇapakṣasya bhūtāyāmupavāsī narottamaḥ | tatra jāgaraṇaṃ kṛtvā mahatīṃ siddhimāpnuyāt

Translation

കൃഷ്ണപക്ഷത്തിലെ ഭൂതായാ തിഥിയിൽ ഉപവാസത്തോടെ അവിടെ ജാഗരണം ചെയ്താൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ മഹാസിദ്ധി പ്രാപിക്കും।

Word by Word

• कृष्णपक्षस्य: of the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; कृष्णः पक्षः इति

• भूतायाम्: on the Bhūtā (tithi)
• भूतायाम्: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तिथिविशेषे (भूताष्टमी/भूततिथि) — ‘on the Bhūtā (tithi)’

• उपवासी: one who is fasting
• उपवासी: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपवास-शीलः

• नरोत्तमः: the best of men
• नरोत्तमः: कर्ता (Apposition to उपवासी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नराणाम् उत्तमः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

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

• जागरणम्: keeping vigil
• जागरणम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• 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: A night in Kāśī: devotees fasting, seated with rosaries, lamps flickering; some sing bhajans; a shrine glows; the Gaṅgā reflects moonlight; the vigil continues till dawn.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūtā (tithi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity (fasting) joined to wakeful devotion (jāgaraṇa) at a holy place is praised as a direct cause of spiritual efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘there’ points to Kāśī’s sacred precincts as described in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting) and jāgaraṇa (night vigil) on the Bhūtā tithi in the kṛṣṇa-pakṣa.