Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

शुक्लायां पंचदश्यां यश्चैत्र्यां कर्ता महोत्सवम् । कृत्तिवासेश्वरे लिंगे न स गर्भं प्रवक्ष्येते

Transliteration

śuklāyāṃ paṃcadaśyāṃ yaścaitryāṃ kartā mahotsavam | kṛttivāseśvare liṃge na sa garbhaṃ pravakṣyete

Translation

ചൈത്രമാസത്തിലെ ശുക്ലപക്ഷ പൗർണ്ണമിയിൽ കൃത്തിവാസേശ്വര ലിംഗത്തിന് മഹോത്സവം നടത്തുന്നവനെക്കുറിച്ച്—അവൻ വീണ്ടും ഗർഭപ്രവേശം ചെയ്യുകയില്ല (പുനർജന്മമില്ല) എന്നു പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• शुक्लायाम्: in the bright (fortnight)
• शुक्लायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; पक्षवाचकः (शुक्लपक्षे)

• पञ्चदश्याम्: on the fifteenth (tithi)
• पञ्चदश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

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

• चैत्र्यां: in (the month of) Caitra / on a Caitra day
• चैत्र्यां: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कालवाचकः (चैत्रमासे/चैत्र्यां तिथौ)

• कर्ता: doer/performer
• कर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ-प्रत्ययान्त (तृच्), कर्ता (agent)

• महोत्सवम्: a great festival
• महोत्सवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (पूर्वपद-प्रातिपदिक) + उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—महान् उत्सवः (कर्मधारयः)

• कृत्तिवासेश्वरे: in/at Kṛttivāseśvara
• कृत्तिवासेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिवास (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—कृत्तिवासस्य ईश्वरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• लिङ्गे: in the liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (particle of negation)

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

• गर्भम्: womb/embryo (rebirth)
• गर्भम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• प्रवक्ष्येते: will enter/come to (i.e., will not fall into)
• प्रवक्ष्येते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; पाठभेदसम्भवः (प्रवक्ष्यते इति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṛttivāseśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages / within episode: Agastya is addressed nearby

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Caitra Pūrṇimā festival at the Kṛttivāseśvara liṅga: garlands, flags, musicians, abhiṣeka streams, full moon above Kāśī; devotees circumambulate in a luminous procession.

Characters & Entities

• Caitra
• Pūrṇimā (Paṃcadaśī)
• Kṛttivāseśvara
• Liṅga
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Public, devotional celebration of Śiva in Kāśī is portrayed as a direct cause for liberation from rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kṛttivāseśvara-liṅga in Kāśī, with emphasis on Caitra pūrṇimā observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Conducting a mahotsava (great festival) for Kṛttivāseśvara’s liṅga on Caitra śukla paṃcadaśī (pūrṇimā).