Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

त्यक्त्वा चंद्रमसं दुःस्थं मघां पौष्णं विहाय च । शुचिः सन्निर्विशेत्पत्नीं पुन्नामर्क्षे विशेषतः । शुचिं पुत्रं प्रसूयेत पुरुषार्थप्रसाधकम्

Transliteration

tyaktvā caṃdramasaṃ duḥsthaṃ maghāṃ pauṣṇaṃ vihāya ca | śuciḥ sannirviśetpatnīṃ punnāmarkṣe viśeṣataḥ | śuciṃ putraṃ prasūyeta puruṣārthaprasādhakam

Translation

เมื่อหลีกเว้นวันจันทร์อันอัปมงคล และงดเว้นนักษัตรมฆาและเปาษณะแล้ว ผู้บริสุทธิ์พึงเข้าใกล้ภรรยา—โดยเฉพาะเมื่อมีนักษัตรชื่อปุนนามา ปรากฏ ดังนี้ย่อมให้กำเนิดบุตรผู้บริสุทธิ์ ผู้เกื้อหนุนเป้าหมายแห่งมนุษย์ คือ ธรรม อรรถ กาม และโมกษะ

Word by Word

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु) → त्यक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): having abandoned

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• चन्द्रमसम्: the Moon (lunar mansion)
• चन्द्रमसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• दुःस्थम्: inauspicious/unfavorable
• दुःस्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुः- (उपसर्ग) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• मघाम्: Maghā (nakṣatra)
• मघाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मघा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• पौष्णम्: Pauṣṇa (nakṣatra)
• पौष्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौष्ण (प्रातिपदिक; पूषन्-सम्बन्धि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; नक्षत्रनाम (Revatī/related to Pūṣan, context-dependent)

• विहाय: having avoided
• विहाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि√हा (धातु) → विहाय (क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (gerund): having left/avoided

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शुचिः: being pure
• शुचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (pure)

• सन्: being
• सन्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √अस् (धातु) → सत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present participle) अव्ययीभावे/क्रियाविशेषणत्वेन (as adverbial: being)

• निर्विशेत्: should enter/approach
• निर्विशेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्√विश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पत्नीम्: wife
• पत्नीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• पुन्नाम: (called) Punnāma
• पुन्नाम: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुन्नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; नक्षत्रविशेषण (name/epithet)

• ऋक्षे: in the nakṣatra/constellation
• ऋक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; नक्षत्रे (in the constellation)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: especially)

• शुचिम्: pure
• शुचिम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• पुत्रम्: a son
• पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• प्रसूयेत: should give birth (to)
• प्रसूयेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√सू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पुरुषार्थप्रसाधकम्: one who accomplishes the aims of man
• पुरुषार्थप्रसाधकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरुषार्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्र√साध् (धातु) → प्रसाधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुरुषार्थस्य प्रसाधकः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night sky over Kāśī with highlighted nakṣatra symbols; a pure couple prays before a home Śiva shrine, with a priest indicating auspicious stars; Gaṅgā glimmers outside.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Maghā (nakṣatra)
• Pauṣṇa (nakṣatra)
• Punnāma (nakṣatra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma integrates purity, timing, and intention; progeny is envisioned not merely biologically but as a carrier of puruṣārtha and righteous life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Kāśī’s broader dharma discourse; it does not directly praise a named tīrtha, but reflects Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s role as a sacred guide for right living.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It advises avoiding inauspicious lunar timing and specific nakṣatras (Maghā, Pauṣṇa), and favors the Punnāma asterism for approaching one’s wife to beget virtuous offspring.