Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

उपाकर्म ततः कृत्वा वेदानध्यापयत्सुधीः । त्र्यब्दं वेदान्सविधिनाऽध्यैष्ट सांगपदक्रमान्

Transliteration

upākarma tataḥ kṛtvā vedānadhyāpayatsudhīḥ | tryabdaṃ vedānsavidhinā'dhyaiṣṭa sāṃgapadakramān

Translation

Setelah melaksanakan upākarma, orang bijaksana itu memulakan pengajian Veda. Selama tiga tahun beliau mempelajari Veda menurut tatacara, beserta vedāṅga, padapāṭha (bacaan kata demi kata), dan kramapāṭha (bacaan berurutan).

Word by Word

• उपाकर्म: the upākarma rite
• उपाकर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thereafter)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), पूर्वकालिक

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अध्यापयत्: taught (made study)
• अध्यापयत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + आप्/आपय (धातु; causative of अधि-इ/अधि-एत् ‘to study/recite’ treated as अध्यापय-)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (Causative: caused to study/teach)

• सुधीः: the wise one
• सुधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुधी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्र्यब्दम्: for three years
• त्र्यब्दम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Measure/extent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयः अब्दाः—परिमाण)

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सविधिना: according to the proper method
• सविधिना: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; तृतीया-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् (adverbial instrumental: ‘with proper procedure’)

• अध्यैष्ट: studied / recited
• अध्यैष्ट: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + इ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• साङ्गपदक्रमान्: the word-by-word recitations with auxiliaries
• साङ्गपदक्रमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साङ्ग + पदक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (साङ्गाः पदक्रमाः—अर्थतः ‘अङ्गसहित-पदक्रम-पाठाः’)

Speaker

Gaṇas (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A student seated before a guru near a small homa fire after upākarma; manuscripts, darbha grass, water pot; visual emphasis on recitation modes—one panel showing word-by-word (pada) and another showing linked sequence (krama).

Characters & Entities

• Upākarma
• Vedas
• Vedāṅgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through disciplined learning; Vedic study, begun with upākarma, is portrayed as a sacred, methodical path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is referenced; the verse emphasizes education and rite within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upākarma as the formal commencement of Vedic study, followed by regulated study including pada-pāṭha and krama-pāṭha.