Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

मासोपवासादन्यत्र यत्फलं समुपार्ज्यते । श्रद्धयैकोपवासेन तत्काश्यां स्यादसंशयम्

Transliteration

māsopavāsādanyatra yatphalaṃ samupārjyate | śraddhayaikopavāsena tatkāśyāṃ syādasaṃśayam

Translation

ผลบุญที่ที่อื่นสั่งสมได้ด้วยการอดอาหารตลอดหนึ่งเดือน—ในกาศี ย่อมได้แน่นอนด้วยการถืออุโบสถเพียงครั้งเดียวด้วยศรัทธา

Word by Word

• मासोपवासात्: from a month-long fast
• मासोपवासात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास + उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—मासस्य उपवासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/प्रकरणवाचक अव्यय (elsewhere)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• समुपार्ज्यते: is obtained/earned
• समुपार्ज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उप + अर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• एकोपवासेन: by a single fast
• एकोपवासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—एकः उपवासः (कर्मधारय-भावे; here treated as तत्पुरुष)

• तत्: that (result)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ

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

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण), निश्चयार्थ

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee fasting in Kāśī: sitting near Viśveśa temple or ghāṭa, holding a japa-mālā, with a faint calendar motif showing ‘one day’ outweighing ‘one month’ elsewhere.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Upavāsa (fasting)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith-filled simplicity in Kāśī is powerful; the kṣetra magnifies even modest austerities into great merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is glorified as a place where austerities yield accelerated spiritual results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ekāda upavāsa in principle: a single fast (ekopavāsa) performed with śraddhā in Kāśī.