Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

पुत्रस्य पित्रोः पदयोः पूजनं देवपूजनम् । उपवासो व्रतं तीर्थं देवताराधनं परम्

Transliteration

putrasya pitroḥ padayoḥ pūjanaṃ devapūjanam | upavāso vrataṃ tīrthaṃ devatārādhanaṃ param

Translation

ପୁତ୍ର ପାଇଁ ପିତାମାତାଙ୍କ ପାଦପୂଜା ହିଁ ଦେବପୂଜା। ଉପବାସ ତାହାର ବ୍ରତ, ସେହି ତାହାର ତୀର୍ଥ, ଏବଂ ସେହି ପରମ ଦେବାରାଧନ।

Word by Word

• putrasya: of the son
• putrasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• pitroḥ: of the two parents (father and mother)
• pitroḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन

• padayoḥ: of the two feet
• padayoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive or 7th/Locative), द्विवचन; अत्र षष्ठी (of the two feet)

• pūjanam: worship
• pūjanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjana (प्रातिपदिक) < √pūj (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• deva-pūjanam: worship of the gods
• deva-pūjanam: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + pūjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासेन विशेष्य-विशेषणभावः (equative apposition)

• upavāsaḥ: fasting
• upavāsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upavāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• vratam: a vow
• vratam: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tīrtham: a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• tīrtham: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• devatā-ārādhanam: propitiation/worship of the deity
• devatā-ārādhanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक) + ārādhana (प्रातिपदिक) < ā√radh (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• param: supreme
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying devatā-ārādhanam)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (ethical tīrtha within Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A son bows to and worships the feet of his parents in a simple home shrine setting; nearby, a small lamp and flowers indicate that this act itself is deva-pūjā; a fasting devotee sits with japa-mālā, serene.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service and reverence to one’s parents is elevated as a direct form of divine worship and the highest sacred practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s greatness is shown through its dharmic standard: inner purity and duty are treated as true tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting) is praised as a vrata, equated with pilgrimage and deity-worship when grounded in dharma.