Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

नित्यनैमित्तिकं स्नानं कुर्यादूर्जे व्रती नरः । ब्रह्मचर्यं चरेदूर्जे महाव्रतफलार्थवान्

Transliteration

nityanaimittikaṃ snānaṃ kuryādūrje vratī naraḥ | brahmacaryaṃ caredūrje mahāvrataphalārthavān

Translation

ഊർജാ (കാർത്തിക) കാലത്ത് വ്രതധാരി പുരുഷൻ നിത്യവും നൈമിത്തികവുമായ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യണം. മഹാവ്രതഫലം ആഗ്രഹിച്ച് ഊർജയിൽ ബ്രഹ്മചര്യം പാലിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• nitya-naimittikam: daily and occasional (prescribed)
• nitya-naimittikam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक) + naimittika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (नित्यं च नैमित्तिकं च) विशेषणम् (snānam) — Neuter, Accusative singular; dvandva adjective

• snānam: bath
• snānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम् — Optative, 3rd singular

• ūrje: in Ūrjā (Kārtika)
• ūrje: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūrj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative singular (in Ūrjā/Kārtika)

• vratī: the vow-observer
• vratī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vratin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• naraḥ: man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular; apposition to vratī

• brahmacaryam: celibacy, brahmacarya
• brahmacaryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + carya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणि चर्या) — Neuter, Accusative singular

• caret: should practice
• caret: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम् — Optative, 3rd singular

• ūrje: in Ūrjā (Kārtika)
• ūrje: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūrj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular

• mahā-vrata-phala-arthavān: seeking the fruit of the great vow
• mahā-vrata-phala-arthavān: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + arthavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (महाव्रतस्य फलम् = महाव्रतफलम्; तदर्थवान्) — Masculine, Nominative singular; ‘having the aim of the fruit of the great vow’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-snāna in Kāśī during Ūrja

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At pre-dawn, a votary steps into the Gaṅgā, performs ācamana and snāna, then stands with wet cloth, hands folded, a calm aura of brahmacarya; nearby, priests and lamps on the ghāṭa.

Characters & Entities

• Ūrja
• Kārtika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer purity (snāna) and inner restraint (brahmacarya) together mature the Kārtika vow into ‘mahāvrata’ merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction sits within Kashi’s sacred teaching-cycle; the verse itself stresses Ūrja discipline rather than naming a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform daily/occasional ritual bathing and observe brahmacarya during Ūrja (Kārtika).