Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । मनोरथतृतीयायां व्रतं कीदृक्कथा कथम् । किं फलं कैः कृतं नाथ कथयैतत्कृपां कुरु

Transliteration

devyuvāca | manorathatṛtīyāyāṃ vrataṃ kīdṛkkathā katham | kiṃ phalaṃ kaiḥ kṛtaṃ nātha kathayaitatkṛpāṃ kuru

Translation

Dewi berkata: “Pada Manoratha-tṛtīyā, apakah rupa vrata itu, bagaimana kisah dan tatacaranya? Apakah buahnya, dan siapakah yang telah melaksanakannya? Wahai Nātha, ceritakanlah ini—kasihanilah aku.”

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मनोरथतृतीयायाम्: on Manoratha-tṛtīyā
• मनोरथतृतीयायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनोरथ + तृतीया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नाम-विशेष)

• व्रतम्: the vow
• व्रतम्: Karma (Topic/object of inquiry/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• कीदृक्: of what kind
• कीदृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-विशेषण

• कथा: the account/story
• कथा: Karma (Topic/object of inquiry/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थे (what is the story/description)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prakaraṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: how)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Visheshana (Interrogative determiner/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (what)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Topic/object of inquiry/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• कैः: by whom
• कैः: Karana (Instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक—‘by whom’

• कृतम्: performed
• कृतम्: Karma (Predicate adjective to ‘vratam’/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘done/performed’ (व्रतं कृतम्)

• नाथ: O Lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• कथय: tell
• कथय: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘this’ (object of कथय)

• कृपाम्: compassion
• कृपाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• कुरु: do/show
• कुरु: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Manoratha-tṛtīyā (query initiating its māhātmya)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī respectfully questions Īśvara: a seated divine couple in a serene setting, Devī’s hand in inquiry gesture, attendants/ṛṣis listening, signaling the start of a vrata-kathā.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Śiva
• Manoratha-tṛtīyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred observances should be learned with humility—asking for the right method, meaning, and fruit is itself dharmic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The conversation is embedded in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa tradition, aligning the vow’s teaching with Kāśī’s sacred milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse requests details of the Manoratha-tṛtīyā-vrata—its katha (origin story), vidhi (procedure), and phala (benefit).