Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

शुक्लपक्षे यथा चंद्रः कलया कलयैधते । एवं काश्यां निवसतां धर्मराशिः पदेपदे

Transliteration

śuklapakṣe yathā caṃdraḥ kalayā kalayaidhate | evaṃ kāśyāṃ nivasatāṃ dharmarāśiḥ padepade

Translation

ਜਿਵੇਂ ਸ਼ੁਕਲ ਪੱਖ ਵਿਚ ਚੰਦਰਮਾ ਕਲਾ-ਕਲਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਵਧਦਾ ਹੈ, ਤਿਵੇਂ ਕਾਸ਼ੀ ਵਿਚ ਵੱਸਣ ਵਾਲਿਆਂ ਲਈ ਧਰਮ ਦਾ ਰਾਸ਼ੀ ਪਗ-ਪਗ ਤੇ ਵਧਦਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• शुक्लपक्षे: in the bright fortnight
• शुक्लपक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (शुक्लः पक्षः)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक (as/just as)

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

• कलया: by a digit/phase
• कलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• कलया: digit by digit
• कलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (कलया कलया = क्रमशः)

• एधते: grows/increases
• एधते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: एध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/in the same way)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• निवसताम्: of those who dwell
• निवसताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वस् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वलिङ्ग-प्रयोग (genitive plural: of those dwelling)

• धर्मराशिः: heap/accumulation of merit
• धर्मराशिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + राशि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य राशिः)

• पदे: at each step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पदे: step by step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (पदे पदे = प्रतिपदम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence-like tableau: the moon waxing over Kāśī’s skyline and Gaṅgā ghāṭs; a devotee’s daily routine repeats—lamp offering, japa, service—each day adding a ‘phase’ of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Candra (Moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Residence in Kāśī steadily amplifies dharma, as naturally as the moon waxes in the bright half of the month.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī itself as the kṣetra whose very environment causes merit to accumulate continuously.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is mandated; the emphasis is on the spiritual benefit of nivas (dwelling) in Kāśī.