Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

सोमवासरमासाद्य एकभक्तव्रतं चरेत् । यष्टव्यः करुणापुष्पैर्व्रतिना करुणेश्वरः

Transliteration

somavāsaramāsādya ekabhaktavrataṃ caret | yaṣṭavyaḥ karuṇāpuṣpairvratinā karuṇeśvaraḥ

Translation

സോമവാരത്തിൽ ഏകഭക്തവ്രതം (ഒരിക്കൽ മാത്രം ഭക്ഷണം) അനുഷ്ഠിക്കണം. വ്രതധാരി ‘കരുണാ’ പുഷ്പങ്ങളാൽ കരുണേശ്വരനെ പൂജിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• somavāsaram: Monday
• somavāsaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma + vāsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; ‘सोमस्य वासरः’ = Monday

• āsādya: having reached/when it comes
• āsādya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā + √sad (धा.) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त; अव्ययीभाव-भाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having reached/after obtaining’

• ekabhakta-vratam: the one-meal vow
• ekabhakta-vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka + bhakta + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; ‘एकभक्तस्य व्रतम्’ (single-meal vow)

• caret: should practice
• caret: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (धा.)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (आज्ञार्थ/संभावना), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, 3rd person, Singular (‘one should practice’)

• yaṣṭavyaḥ: should be worshipped
• yaṣṭavyaḥ: Vidhi (Injunctive obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yaj (धा.) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Gerundive: ‘to be worshipped/sacrificed to’

• karuṇāpuṣpaiḥ: with karuṇā-flowers
• karuṇāpuṣpaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karuṇā + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural; ‘करुणायाः/करुणानामकानि पुष्पाणि’ (flowers named/associated with karuṇā)

• vratinā: by the vow-observer
• vratinā: Kartr̥/Agent-instrumental (Agent/कर्ता in instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vratin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• karuṇeśvaraḥ: Karuṇeśvara
• karuṇeśvaraḥ: Karma (Object of worship/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karuṇeśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Karuṇeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vow-holder on Monday, simple attire, offers pale blossoms labeled ‘karuṇā-puṣpa’ at the Karuṇeśvara liṅga; a small moon motif (Soma) appears above, signifying Somavāra.

Characters & Entities

• Karuṇeśvara
• Somavāra (Monday)
• Ekabhakta-vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disciplined devotion (vrata) joined with simple offerings is presented as a direct means to receive Śiva’s grace in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Karuṇeśvara Liṅga in Kāśī (near Mokṣadvāra per the surrounding context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observe Ekabhakta-vrata on Monday and perform worship of Karuṇeśvara with flowers.