Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

प्रतिसंवत्सरं तस्याः कार्या यात्रा प्रयत्नतः । शारदं नवरात्रं च सकुटुंबैः शुभार्थिभिः

Transliteration

pratisaṃvatsaraṃ tasyāḥ kāryā yātrā prayatnataḥ | śāradaṃ navarātraṃ ca sakuṭuṃbaiḥ śubhārthibhiḥ

Translation

ഓരോ വർഷവും പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ അവളുടെ യാത്ര അനുഷ്ഠിക്കണം; പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ശാരദ നవరാത്രത്തിൽ, മംഗളം ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നവർ കുടുംബസഹിതം ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• pratisaṃvatsaram: every year
• pratisaṃvatsaram: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati + saṃvatsara (अव्ययीभाव)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभाव-समास; कालवाचक (every year)

• tasyāḥ: of her
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• kāryā: should be performed
• kāryā: Karya (कार्य/vidheya)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भाव्य-विशेषण (gerundive sense: ‘to be done’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• yātrā: pilgrimage/journey (rite)
• yātrā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prayatnataḥ: with effort
• prayatnataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prayatnataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त क्रियाविशेषण (with effort/diligently)

• śāradam: autumnal
• śāradam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (autumnal)

• navarātram: Navarātra
• navarātram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nava (प्रातिपदिक) + rātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• sakuṭumbaiḥ: together with (their) families
• sakuṭumbaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) + kuṭumba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अव्ययीभाव-प्राय प्रयोग: ‘स-’ (with) + kuṭumba; ‘with (one’s) family’

• śubhārthibhiḥ: by those seeking auspiciousness
• śubhārthibhiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक) + arthin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: śubham arthayate iti (one who seeks auspiciousness)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Durgā-yātrā within Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A family group arriving in Kāśī during Śārada Navarātra: carrying bundles, offerings, and lamps; city banners and festival colors; the family stands before Durgā’s shrine taking sankalpa for the annual yātrā.

Characters & Entities

• Durgā
• Śārada Navarātra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspiciousness is cultivated through recurring sacred travel and collective, family-based religious discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Durgā-centered sacred circuit (yātrā) is implied within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform an annual yātrā connected to Durgā, with emphasis on the Śārada (autumn) Navarātra.