Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

महामहोत्सवो जातस्तस्मिन्नहनि कुंभज । कृत्तिवासत्वमापेदे यस्मिन्देवो दिगंबरः

Transliteration

mahāmahotsavo jātastasminnahani kuṃbhaja | kṛttivāsatvamāpede yasmindevo digaṃbaraḥ

Translation

ഹേ കുംഭജ! ആ ദിനത്തിൽ തന്നേ മഹാമഹോത്സവം സംഭവിച്ചു—ആ ദിനത്തിൽ ദിഗംബര ദേവൻ ‘കൃത്തിവാസൻ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധനായി।

Word by Word

• महामहोत्सवः: a very great festival
• महामहोत्सवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (पूर्वपद-प्रातिपदिक) + महोत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—महान् महोत्सवः (कर्मधारयः)

• जातः: arose/occurred
• जातः: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणरूपेण (predicate participle)

• तस्मिन्: on that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अहनि: day
• अहनि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• कुम्भज: O Kumbhaja (Agastya)
• कुम्भज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक) → कुम्भज (प्रातिपदिक; अगस्त्य-सम्बोधन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कुम्भात् जातः (पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषः)

• कृत्तिवासत्वम्: the state/name of Kṛttivāsa
• कृत्तिवासत्वम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिवास (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (त्व)

• आपेदे: attained
• आपेदे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• यस्मिन्: in which
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Relative locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• देवः: the god (Śiva)
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• दिगंबरः: the sky-clad one (naked ascetic)
• दिगंबरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—दिशः अम्बरं यस्य सः (बहुव्रीहिः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṛttivāsa (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhaja) explicitly addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand festival erupts as Śiva becomes known as Kṛttivāsa; Agastya (Kumbhaja) is present as witness; banners, lamps, and gaṇas celebrate around the newly famed form.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya (Kumbhaja)
• Śiva (Digambara)
• Kṛttivāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine names arise from divine deeds; remembering them through festival strengthens communal devotion and sacred memory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kṛttivāseśvara/Kṛttivāsa tradition in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied celebration of a mahotsava associated with the day Śiva became known as Kṛttivāsa.