Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

षण्मासान्न परित्यागाद्यदन्यत्र फलं लभेत् । शिवरात्र्युपवासेन तत्काश्यां जायते ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

ṣaṇmāsānna parityāgādyadanyatra phalaṃ labhet | śivarātryupavāsena tatkāśyāṃ jāyate dhruvam

Translation

வேறிடத்தில் ஆறு மாதங்கள் ஒழுக்கத்தை விடாது கடைப்பிடித்தால் கிடைக்கும் பலன், காசியில் சிவராத்திரி நோன்பினால் அதே புண்ணியம் உறுதியாக உண்டாகிறது।

Word by Word

• ṣaṇmāsāt: from (the observance of) six months
• ṣaṇmāsāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ-māsa (प्रातिपदिक; षण् + मास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास ‘षट् मासाः’ → ‘षण्मास’

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• parityāgāt: from giving up/abandonment
• parityāgāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pari-tyaj (धातु) → parityāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम (action noun)

• yat: that which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• anyatra: elsewhere
• anyatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/विषय-अव्यय (adverb: elsewhere)

• phalam: fruit/result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• labhet: would obtain
• labhet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• śivarātri-upavāsena: by the fast of Śivarātri
• śivarātri-upavāsena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva-rātri (प्रातिपदिक) + upavāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘शिवरात्र्याः उपवासः’

• tat: that (same)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अन्वयः ‘तत् (फलम्)’

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• jāyate: arises/is produced
• jāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• dhruvam: certainly
• dhruvam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative used as indeclinable): ‘certainly/indeed’

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night of Śivarātri in Kāśī: devotees fasting, holding lamps, offering bilva leaves to a liṅga near the Gaṅgā ghāṭs; temple bells and river shimmer.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Śivarātri
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī magnifies spiritual practice: a single Śivarātri fast there yields extraordinary, assured merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated as a supreme Śaiva sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śivarātri-upavāsa—fasting/observance on the night of Śiva (Mahāśivarātri).