Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

बाहुलं ब्रह्मचर्येण यः क्षिपेच्छुचिमानसः । समस्तं हायनं तेन ब्रह्मचर्यकृतं भवेत्

Transliteration

bāhulaṃ brahmacaryeṇa yaḥ kṣipecchucimānasaḥ | samastaṃ hāyanaṃ tena brahmacaryakṛtaṃ bhavet

Translation

ശുദ്ധമനസ്സോടെ ബ്രഹ്മചര്യത്തിലൂടെ ഊർജയുടെ അനവധി ദിവസങ്ങൾ കഴിക്കുന്നവന്, സമസ്ത വർഷവും ബ്രഹ്മചര്യത്തിൽ തന്നെ കഴിഞ്ഞതുപോലെ ആകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• bāhulam: abundance, much (time/quantity)
• bāhulam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāhula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• brahmacaryeṇa: by (means of) celibacy
• brahmacaryeṇa: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental singular

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun) — Masculine, Nominative singular

• kṣipet: should spend/extend (devote)
• kṣipet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣip (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम् — Optative, 3rd singular

• śuci-mānasaḥ: pure-minded
• śuci-mānasaḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक) + mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (शुचि मानसम् यस्य) — Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective of 'yaḥ'

• samastam: entire, whole
• samastam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (hāyanam) — Neuter, Accusative singular

• hāyanam: year
• hāyanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hāyana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• tena: by him/thereby
• tena: Karana (Instrument/Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम — Instrumental singular ‘by him/thereby’

• brahmacarya-kṛtam: (is) accomplished by celibacy
• brahmacarya-kṛtam: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahmacarya (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त, क्त; √kṛ धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मचर्येण कृतम्) क्त-कृदन्तम् — Neuter, Nominative singular; PPP used predicatively

• bhavet: would become, would be
• bhavet: Kriyā (Copula/Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम् — Optative, 3rd singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ūrja-brahmacarya in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: the votary practicing brahmacarya through Kārtika days, shown as a garland of 30 day-lamps transforming into a full circle of 12 month-symbols—signifying 'the whole year' achieved through one month’s restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Ūrja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Focused continence in Kārtika is credited with vast merit—like the spiritual power of year-long restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī Khaṇḍa context frames the teaching within Kashi’s dharma, though the verse itself is about vow-merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice brahmacarya with a purified mind throughout the (many) days of the Ūrja/Kārtika observance.