Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

महोपहारानादाय नगराद्बहिरभ्यगात् । समभ्यर्चितुमीशानं शिवरात्रावुपोषितः

Transliteration

mahopahārānādāya nagarādbahirabhyagāt | samabhyarcitumīśānaṃ śivarātrāvupoṣitaḥ

Translation

அவன் சிறந்த காணிக்கைகளை எடுத்துக்கொண்டு நகரத்துக்கு வெளியே சென்றான்; சிவராத்திரி இரவில் உபவாசம் இருந்து ஈசானன் (சிவன்) வழிபடப் புறப்பட்டான்.

Word by Word

• महोपहारान्: great offerings
• महोपहारान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + उपहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन (accusative plural)

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ+दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• नगरात्: from the city
• नगरात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन (ablative singular)

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Place adjunct/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb: 'outside')

• अभ्यगात्: went forth
• अभ्यगात्: Kriya (Verbal action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (aorist); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• समभ्यर्चितुम्: to worship
• समभ्यर्चितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्+अभि+अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive)

• ईशानम्: Īśāna (Śiva)
• ईशानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• शिवरात्रौ: on the night of Śiva (Śivarātri)
• शिवरात्रौ: Adhikaraṇa (Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य रात्रिः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular)

• उपोषितः: having fasted
• उपोषितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप+वस् (धातु) → उपोषित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (one who has fasted)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śivarātri in Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śiva-devotee, fasting from the previous night, carries splendid offerings out of the city toward a shrine/linga for Īśāna worship; the path suggests purposeful devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Īśāna (Śiva)
• Śivarātri

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through discipline (fasting) and reverent worship with offerings—key pillars of Purāṇic Śaiva dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains Kāśī; the verse emphasizes Śiva-worship as central to Kāśī’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observing upavāsa (fasting) on Śivarātri and performing Śiva/Īśāna worship with offerings.