Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

नवावश्यककर्माणि कार्याणि प्रतिवासरम् । स्नानं संध्या जपो होमः स्वाध्यायो देवतार्चनम्

Transliteration

navāvaśyakakarmāṇi kāryāṇi prativāsaram | snānaṃ saṃdhyā japo homaḥ svādhyāyo devatārcanam

Translation

กรรมจำเป็นเก้าประการพึงทำทุกวัน คือ อาบน้ำชำระ สันธยา-วันทนะ (บูชายามสนธยา) ชปะ(สวดมนต์ภาวนา) โหมะ(บูชาไฟ) สวาธยายะ และการบูชาเทวะทั้งหลาย

Word by Word

• नव: nine
• नव: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनार्थे (numeral ‘nine’, agreeing with plural)

• आवश्यककर्माणि: necessary duties
• आवश्यककर्माणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवश्यक + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (neuter nominative plural)

• कार्याणि: to be performed
• कार्याणि: Vidhyartha (Obligation/विध्यर्थ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (neuter nominative plural adjective: ‘to be done’)

• प्रतिवासरम्: every day
• प्रतिवासरम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् (adverbial: ‘each day’)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• संध्या: twilight worship (sandhyā)
• संध्या: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

• जपः: recitation; mantra repetition
• जपः: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine nominative singular)

• होमः: fire offering
• होमः: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine nominative singular)

• स्वाध्यायः: self-study; Vedic study
• स्वाध्यायः: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine nominative singular)

• देवतार्चनम्: worship of deities
• देवतार्चनम्: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī / Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a Gaṅgā ghāṭ in Kāśī at dawn: a devotee completes snāna, performs sandhyā with arghya to the rising sun, then sits for japa; nearby a small homa-kunda smolders; later, he reads from a palm-leaf text and offers flowers at a shrine.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Daily discipline (nitya-karmas) sustains purity, devotion, and continuity of dharma in household life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kāśī Khaṇḍa; this verse emphasizes daily practice rather than a particular pilgrimage spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nitya-karmas: snāna, sandhyā, japa, homa, svādhyāya, and devatā-arcana (as part of a ninefold daily set).