Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

योषिद्वा पुरुषो वापि चित्रघंटां न योर्चयेत् । काश्यां विघ्नसहस्राणि तं सेवंते पदेपदे

Transliteration

yoṣidvā puruṣo vāpi citraghaṃṭāṃ na yorcayet | kāśyāṃ vighnasahasrāṇi taṃ sevaṃte padepade

Translation

സ്ത്രീയായാലും പുരുഷനായാലും—കാശിയിൽ ചിത്രഘണ്ടാ ദേവിയെ പൂജിക്കാത്തവനെ ഓരോ പടിയിലും ആയിരം വിഘ്നങ്ങൾ പിന്തുടരും.

Word by Word

• योषित्: a woman
• योषित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (option)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योषित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात = or

• पुरुषः: a man
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (option)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात = or

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात = even/also

• चित्रघण्टाम्: Citraghaṇṭā (the goddess)
• चित्रघण्टाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रघण्टा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

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

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• विघ्न-सहस्राणि: thousands of obstacles
• विघ्न-सहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विघ्नानां सहस्राणि = thousands of obstacles)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सेवन्ते: attend/afflict
• सेवन्ते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पदे: at a step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (अव्ययीभावार्थे लोके); ‘at (each) step’

• पदे: at every step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (pade pade = at every step)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Citraghaṇṭā (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī ignores the Citraghaṇṭā shrine; the path ahead fills with symbolic obstacles—tangled vines, closed gates, stormy steps—until the pilgrim turns back to worship.

Characters & Entities

• Citraghaṇṭā
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred path is to be walked with proper devotion; neglecting the local deity’s worship invites repeated impediments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), with emphasis on the shrine/cult of Citraghaṇṭā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (arcana) of Citraghaṇṭā as an obstacle-removing observance for pilgrims.