Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

विशेषपूजा कर्तव्या सुमहोत्सवपूर्वकम । कार्यास्तथाधिका यात्राः समर्च्याः क्षेत्रदेवताः

Transliteration

viśeṣapūjā kartavyā sumahotsavapūrvakama | kāryāstathādhikā yātrāḥ samarcyāḥ kṣetradevatāḥ

Translation

മഹോത്സവത്തിനു മുൻപായി വിശേഷപൂജ നടത്തണം; അതുപോലെ അധിക യാത്രകളും നടത്തി, ക്ഷേത്രദേവതകളെ യഥാവിധി സമർചിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• विशेषपूजा: special worship
• विशेषपूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—विशेषस्य पूजा

• कर्तव्या: should be done
• कर्तव्या: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (gerundive/obligatory)

• सुमहोत्सवपूर्वकम्: preceded by a very great festival
• सुमहोत्सवपूर्वकम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + महोत्सव + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative): ‘पूर्वकं’ = with/preceded by; समासः—सुमहान् उत्सवः यस्य (महोत्सव) + तेन पूर्वकम्

• कार्याः: should be performed
• कार्याः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (to be done)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अधिकाः: additional/greater
• अधिकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘यात्राः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यात्राः: processions/pilgrimages
• यात्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• समर्च्याः: should be duly worshipped
• समर्च्याः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अर्च् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (to be duly worshipped)

• क्षेत्रदेवताः: the deities of the sacred area
• क्षेत्रदेवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—क्षेत्रस्य देवताः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (with Viśveśvara as center)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand Kāśī festival: decorated streets, flags and toranas, palanquin procession (yātrā), devotees carrying lamps and flowers; multiple shrines receive offerings—Viśveśvara central, kṣetra-devatās honored along the route.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetradevatāḥ
• Kāśī-kṣetra
• Pūjā
• Yātrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion in Kāśī is to be lived publicly and communally through festivals, pilgrim-circuits, and honoring the kṣetra’s guardian deities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider Kāśī-kṣetra (sacred precinct), including its kṣetradevatās.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Viśeṣa-pūjā with mahotsava, performing yātrās, and worship of kṣetradevatās.