Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

कर्तव्या नागपञ्चम्यां यात्रा वर्षासु तत्र वै । नागाः प्रसन्ना जायंते कुले तस्यापि सर्वदा

Transliteration

kartavyā nāgapañcamyāṃ yātrā varṣāsu tatra vai | nāgāḥ prasannā jāyaṃte kule tasyāpi sarvadā

Translation

മഴക്കാലത്ത് നാഗപഞ്ചമിയുടെ ദിവസം അവിടെ തീർത്ഥയാത്ര നിർബന്ധമായി നടത്തണം; അതുവഴി അവന്റെ കുലത്തോടും നാഗങ്ങൾ എപ്പോഴും പ്രസന്നരായിരിക്കും.

Word by Word

• कर्तव्या: to be done; should be undertaken
• कर्तव्या: Vidhyartha (Obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः—तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘यात्रा’ इति विशेषणम्

• नागपञ्चम्याम्: on Nāga-pañcamī
• नागपञ्चम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग-पञ्चमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (काल-अधिकरण), एकवचन

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

• वर्षासु: in the rainy season(s)
• वर्षासु: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (काल-अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निश्चयार्थक/पादपूरण (emphatic particle)

• नागाः: nāgas; serpent-beings
• नागाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रसन्नाः: pleased; gracious
• प्रसन्नाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘नागाः’ इति विशेषणम्

• जायन्ते: are born; come to be
• जायन्ते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदम्

• कुले: in the family
• कुले: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अपि-कार (also/even)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vāsuki-kuṇḍa / Vāsukīśvara-yātrā

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni/interlocutor and, by extension, pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A monsoon pilgrimage procession in Kāśī: devotees with umbrellas and wet garments approach the Vāsuki-kuṇḍa; priests guide snāna; nāga icons garlanded; the mood is festive yet reverent, emphasizing family participation.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgapañcamī
• Nāgas
• Vāsukikuṇḍa (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and vrata are family-sustaining dharma: honoring nāga-devatās at the right season brings lasting auspiciousness to one’s lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vāsuki-related tīrtha area in Kāśī (centered on Vāsukikuṇḍa and Vāsukīśvara).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake a yātrā there on Nāgapañcamī during the rainy season.