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Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 200

अहोरात्रं स पश्यन्वै क्षेत्रं दृष्टेरदूरगम् । प्राप्याष्टमीं च भूतां च मध्ये क्षेत्रं सदा विशेत्

ahorātraṃ sa paśyanvai kṣetraṃ dṛṣṭeradūragam | prāpyāṣṭamīṃ ca bhūtāṃ ca madhye kṣetraṃ sadā viśet

ഒരു പകലും രാത്രിയും ദൃഷ്ടിക്ക് അദൂരമായ ആ പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രത്തെ നോക്കി നില്ക്കണം; അഷ്ടമി വന്നാൽ എപ്പോഴും ക്ഷേത്രത്തിന്റെ മദ്ധ്യമായ ഹൃദയസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ച് വസിക്കണം।

अहोरात्रम्day and night (the whole time)
अहोरात्रम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअहः (प्रातिपदिक) + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (day-and-night)
सःhe
सः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन
पश्यन्seeing
पश्यन्:
Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Root√पश् (धातु; दर्शने)
Formवर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय; present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन
वैindeed
वै:
Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (अव्यय)
Formनिश्चयार्थक-अव्यय/पादपूरण (indeed, emphatic particle)
क्षेत्रम्the sacred field/region
क्षेत्रम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootक्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन
दृष्टेःof sight/vision
दृष्टेः:
Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध-षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootदृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (genitive)
अदूरगम्not far (within sight)
अदूरगम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअदूर (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु; गत्यर्थे)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अदूरं गच्छति/अदूरे गतम् = not far); विशेषण (agreeing with क्षेत्रम्)
प्राप्यhaving reached
प्राप्य:
Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√प्राप् (धातु; प्राप्तौ)
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive: having reached)
अष्टमीम्the eighth lunar day (Aṣṭamī)
अष्टमीम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन
and
:
Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: and)
भूताम्that has come/occurred
भूताम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootभूता (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with अष्टमीम्: the Aṣṭamī that has occurred)
and
:
Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)
मध्येin the middle
मध्ये:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootमध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (locative)
क्षेत्रम्the field/region
क्षेत्रम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootक्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन
सदाalways
सदा:
Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसदा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (always)
विशेत्should enter
विशेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√विश् (धातु; प्रवेशने)
Formविधिलिङ्-लकार (optative); प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Narratorial voice within Skanda’s discourse (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (madhya-bhāga / hṛdaya)

Type: kshetra

Listener: Agastya

Scene: A pilgrim stands on a vantage point outside Kāśī, keeping the city’s spires and ghāṭs within sight through day and night; as the moon marks Aṣṭamī, the pilgrim crosses into the city’s ‘heart’ toward the central shrine.

K
Kāśī (Kṣetra)
A
Aṣṭamī (tithi)

FAQs

Sacred time (tithi) and sacred space (kṣetra) work together; intentional darśana and entry into Kāśī at auspicious times amplifies spiritual merit.

The Kāśī-kṣetra as a whole, especially its ‘madhya’ (inner sacred core).

A timing-based prescription: on Aṣṭamī, one should enter/abide within the kṣetra after keeping it in view (darśana) for a day and night.