Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

अष्टावष्टौ समश्नीयात्पिंडान्मध्यंदिने स्थिते । नियतात्मा हविष्यस्य यतिचांद्रायणं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

aṣṭāvaṣṭau samaśnīyātpiṃḍānmadhyaṃdine sthite | niyatātmā haviṣyasya yaticāṃdrāyaṇaṃ smṛtam

Translation

മധ്യാഹ്നത്തിൽ നിയന്ത്രിതമനസ്സുള്ളവൻ ഹവിഷ്യാഹാരം എട്ട് ഗ്രാസവും വീണ്ടും എട്ട് ഗ്രാസവും ആയി ഭുജിക്കണം. ഇത് ‘യതി-ചാന്ദ്രായണം’ എന്നു സ്മൃതം.

Word by Word

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषणम् (पिण्डान्)

• अष्टौ: eight (again)
• अष्टौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (द्वितीयकाल-भोजनार्थं)

• समश्नीयात्: should eat (in due manner)
• समश्नीयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गयुक्त

• पिण्डान्: food-balls
• पिण्डान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• मध्यंदिने: at midday
• मध्यंदिने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्यंदिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• स्थिते: when (it is) present/arrived
• स्थिते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मध्यंदिने)

• नियतात्मा: one with controlled self
• नियतात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियत (सम्-यम्/यम् धातु + क्त) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—नियतः आत्मा यस्य (self-controlled person)

• हविष्यस्य: of havis (sacrificial food)
• हविष्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• यतिचांद्रायणम्: the ‘ascetic’ cāndrāyaṇa observance
• यतिचांद्रायणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक) + चान्द्रायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यतेः चान्द्रायणम् = for an ascetic)

• स्मृतम्: is declared
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is declared’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At bright midday on a Kāśī ghāṭa courtyard, an ascetic-minded practitioner eats measured haviṣya—eight and eight morsels—after offering to fire/Śiva, remaining composed.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A regulated diet taken with self-control is itself a spiritual discipline that supports purification and steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is the overarching sacred setting where such vratas are taught as especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

At midday, eat eight plus eight morsels of haviṣya—this constitutes the Yati-Cāndrāyaṇa.