Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

मधौमासि रवेर्वारे यात्रा सांवत्सरी भवेत् । अशोकैस्तत्र संपूज्य कुंडे स्नात्वा विधानतः

Transliteration

madhaumāsi ravervāre yātrā sāṃvatsarī bhavet | aśokaistatra saṃpūjya kuṃḍe snātvā vidhānataḥ

Translation

മധു മാസത്തിൽ, ഞായറാഴ്ച നടത്തുന്ന യാത്ര ‘സാംവത്സരീ’ അഥവാ വാർഷിക പുണ്യഫലദായിനിയാകും; അവിടെ അശോകപുഷ്പങ്ങളാൽ പൂജിച്ച്, കുണ്ഡത്തിൽ വിധിപൂർവ്വം സ്നാനം ചെയ്യണം।

Word by Word

• मधौ: in Madhu (month)
• मधौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; मासवाचक (Madhu month)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• रवेः: of the Sun / of Sunday
• रवेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• वारे: on the day
• वारे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; दिवसवाचक

• यात्रा: pilgrimage
• यात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सांवत्सरी: annual
• सांवत्सरी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सांवत्सरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (annual)

• भवेत्: should be/becomes
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अशोकैः: with aśoka (flowers/leaves)
• अशोकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संपूज्य: having duly worshipped
• संपूज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकर्म (having worshipped)

• कुंडे: in the pond/tank
• कुंडे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund); पूर्वकर्म (having bathed)

• विधानतः: according to the prescribed rite
• विधानतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधानतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: according to rule/rite)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sāmbāditya-kuṇḍa (implied by context)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A springtime (Madhu-māsa) Kāśī scene: devotees on a Sunday carrying aśoka blossoms, performing Sūrya worship, then descending into a small sacred kuṇḍa for ritual bathing.

Characters & Entities

• Madhu-māsa
• Ravivāra
• Aśoka (flowers)
• Kuṇḍa (Sāmbakuṇḍa implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Properly timed pilgrimage, combined with orderly worship and tīrtha bathing, is celebrated as a concentrated form of long-term religious practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kuṇḍa referenced is within the Sāmbāditya/Sāmbakuṇḍa setting in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

On a Sunday in Madhu-māsa: worship using aśoka flowers, and bathe in the kuṇḍa following proper vidhi.