Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

पश्चाद्दक्षेण शप्तोपि मासोने क्षयमाप्य च । आप्याय्यतेसौ कलया पुनरेव तया शशी

Transliteration

paścāddakṣeṇa śaptopi māsone kṣayamāpya ca | āpyāyyatesau kalayā punareva tayā śaśī

Translation

ପରେ ଦକ୍ଷଙ୍କ ଶାପରୁ ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର ମାସେମାସେ କ୍ଷୟ ପାଇଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ, ସେହି ଏକେ କଳାଦ୍ୱାରା ପୁନର୍ବାର ପୋଷିତ ହୋଇ ପୁନଃ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣତା ପାଉଛନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• दक्षेण: by Dakṣa
• दक्षेण: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; (दक्षप्रजापतिना)

• शप्तः: cursed
• शप्तः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शप् (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (शशी)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: ‘also/even’)

• मासोने: in the month’s waning
• मासोने: Adhikaraṇa (Location-Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास-ऊन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in (the period) of a month’s waning/deficiency’

• क्षयम्: decline
• क्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आप्य: having reached
• आप्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having reached/attained’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• आप्याय्यते: is replenished
• आप्याय्यते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√प्यै / √प्या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; ‘is nourished/increases’

• सः: he/that one
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (शशी)

• कलया: by (that) digit/portion
• कलया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (adverb: again)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• तया: by that
• तया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; (कलया)

• शशी: the moon
• शशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Soma’s kalā-restoration (Kāśī theological motif)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visual cycle: Soma wanes across lunar phases under Dakṣa’s curse, then is replenished by Śiva’s kalā; the crescent returns, symbolizing hope and cosmic balance.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Soma (Śaśī/Candra)
• Kalā (lunar phase)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Decline and renewal are woven into cosmic law; grace provides restoration even amid curses and consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly supports Avimukta-Kāśī’s Candreśvara tradition by explaining Soma’s recurring renewal.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicit; it explains the monthly cycle (kṣaya and āpyāyana) as a dharmic-cosmic principle.