Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

वृद्धेनाराधितो यस्माद्धारीतेन तपस्विना । आदित्यो वार्धकहरो वृद्धादित्यस्ततः स्मृतः

Transliteration

vṛddhenārādhito yasmāddhārītena tapasvinā | ādityo vārdhakaharo vṛddhādityastataḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

వృద్ధావస్థలో తపస్వి హారీతుడు ఆదిత్యుని ఆరాధించినందున, జరను హరించే ఆ ఆదిత్యుడు ‘వృద్ధాదిత్యుడు’ అని స్మరించబడతాడు।

Word by Word

• वृद्धेन: by the old (sage)
• वृद्धेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आराधितः: was worshipped/propitiated
• आराधितः: Kriyā (Predicative participle/कृदन्त-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यस्मात्: because (from which reason)
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextual), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); हेतु-अर्थे (causal)

• हारीतेन: by Hārīta
• हारीतेन: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हारीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तपस्विना: by the ascetic
• तपस्विना: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying ‘हारीतेन’)

• आदित्यः: the Sun (Āditya)
• आदित्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वार्धकहरः: remover of old age
• वार्धकहरः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वार्धक-हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying ‘आदित्यः’)

• वृद्धादित्यः: Vṛddhāditya (Sun as remover of old age)
• वृद्धादित्यः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध-आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); नाम (epithet)

• ततः: therefore
• ततः: Sambandha (Logical connector/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb: ‘therefore/from that’)

• स्मृतः: is known/called
• स्मृतः: Kriyā (Predicative participle/कृदन्त-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is called/remembered’

Speaker

Skanda (contextual, Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vṛddhāditya

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hārīta, aged, offering arghya to the Sun; the Sun’s rays form the word/identity ‘Vṛddhāditya’ as a sanctified name, with a small shrine emerging in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Hārīta
• Vṛddhāditya
• Āditya (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine names in the Purāṇas preserve lived devotional history and proclaim the deity’s specific grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Vṛddhāditya (Sun-shrine/tradition) is being established by name and function.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana (devotional worship/propitiation) of Āditya is indicated.