Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

प्राग्रवे त्वां समाराध्य यो मां द्रक्ष्यति मानवः । तस्य त्वं दुःखतिमिरमपानुद निजैः करैः

Transliteration

prāgrave tvāṃ samārādhya yo māṃ drakṣyati mānavaḥ | tasya tvaṃ duḥkhatimiramapānuda nijaiḥ karaiḥ

Translation

“ผู้ใดในยามอรุณ บูชาเจ้าก่อนโดยชอบธรรม แล้วจึงได้เห็นข้าพเจ้า—เจ้าจงใช้รัศมีของตนเอง ขจัดความมืดแห่งทุกข์ให้แก่ผู้นั้น”

Word by Word

• प्राक्: beforehand
• प्राक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time: beforehand)

• अग्रे: first, in advance
• अग्रे: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-सप्तमी; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (locative used adverbially: in front/first)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• समाराध्य: having worshipped
• समाराध्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-राध् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having worshipped)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• द्रक्ष्यति: will see
• द्रक्ष्यति: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मानवः: a human
• मानवः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘यः’ इत्यस्य विशेष्यः

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दुःख-तिमिरम्: darkness of sorrow
• दुःख-तिमिरम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + तिमिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘दुःखस्य तिमिरम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अपानुद: remove, dispel
• अपानुद: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-आ-नुद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• निजैः: with your own
• निजैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘करैः’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• करैः: hands
• करैः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Ravi (Sūrya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prātaḥ-sevā in Kāśī culminating in Sūrya-darśana

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pativratā devotee (the ‘tvām’ addressed) and, by extension, future worshippers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At first light, the devotee completes worship and then looks up to the rising Sun; rays stream outward, visually pushing away a smoky veil symbolizing sorrow-darkness from the worshipper’s heart.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Dawn worship (prātar-upāsanā)
• Kāśī (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right-timed devotion (at dawn) and divine vision (darśana) transform inner suffering into clarity and well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s devotional regimen is implied, especially practices connected with Sūrya and Viśveśvara’s sacred zone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prātar (dawn) worship followed by Sūrya-darśana for dispelling sorrow.