Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

माघ कृष्णचतुर्दश्यामुपोष्य निशि जागृयात् । कृत्तिवासेशमभ्यर्च्य यः स यायात्परां गतिम्

Transliteration

māgha kṛṣṇacaturdaśyāmupoṣya niśi jāgṛyāt | kṛttivāseśamabhyarcya yaḥ sa yāyātparāṃ gatim

Translation

മാഘമാസത്തിലെ കൃഷ്ണപക്ഷ ചതുര്ദശിയിൽ ഉപവസിച്ച് രാത്രിയിൽ ജാഗരണം ചെയ്ത്, കൃത്തിവാസേശനെ അർച്ചിക്കുന്നവൻ പരമഗതിയെ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• माघ: in (the month of) Māgha
• माघ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कालवाचकः (मासे)

• कृष्णचतुर्दश्याम्: on the dark fortnight’s fourteenth (tithi)
• कृष्णचतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—कृष्णा चतुर्दशी (कर्मधारयः)

• उपोष्य: having fasted
• उपोष्य: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + वस्/उष् (धातु; उपवासार्थे) → उपोष्य (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया; कर्तरि

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• जागृयात्: should keep vigil / stay awake
• जागृयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जागृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कृत्तिवासेशम्: Kṛttivāseśa (Lord Kṛttivāsa)
• कृत्तिवासेशम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिवास (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—कृत्तिवासस्य ईशः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + अर्च् (धातु) → अभ्यर्च्य (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (ल्यप्), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया; कर्तरि

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यायात्: would go / should attain
• यायात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गतिम्)

• गतिम्: state/goal
• गतिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṛttivāseśa (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages / within episode: Agastya is addressed in adjacent verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night at Kāśī: devotees keep vigil with lamps, chanting before the Kṛttivāseśa liṅga; the moon of Māgha dark fortnight hangs faintly; Ganga ghāṭa lamps shimmer.

Characters & Entities

• Māgha
• Kṛṣṇa-caturdaśī
• Kṛttivāseśa
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disciplined observance—fasting, vigil, and worship—focused on Śiva leads toward the highest spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī through the worship of Kṛttivāseśa (the local Śiva-liṅga/manifestation).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fasting on Māgha kṛṣṇa caturdaśī, night-long vigil, and worship (abhyarcana) of Kṛttivāseśa.