Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

तस्या रूपं प्रवक्ष्यामि भक्तानां शुभदं परम् । यद्रूपध्यानतः पुंभिराषण्मासं त्रिसंध्यतः

Transliteration

tasyā rūpaṃ pravakṣyāmi bhaktānāṃ śubhadaṃ param | yadrūpadhyānataḥ puṃbhirāṣaṇmāsaṃ trisaṃdhyataḥ

Translation

เราจักพรรณนารูปของนาง อันเป็นมงคลยิ่งแก่ภักตะทั้งหลาย; ผู้ใดเพ่งภาวนารูปนั้นตลอดหกเดือน ในสามยามสันธยา ย่อมบรรลุความเป็นสิริมงคล

Word by Word

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I will describe
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः प्र-

• भक्तानाम्: of devotees
• भक्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-आधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• शुभदम्: bestowing auspiciousness
• शुभदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभद (प्रातिपदिक) = शुभ + द
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (शुभं ददाति इति)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उत्कृष्टार्थे

• यत्: whose
• यत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (यस्य)

• रूपध्यानतः: from meditation on (that) form
• रूपध्यानतः: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूपध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) = रूप + ध्यान
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रूपस्य ध्यानम्)

• पुम्भिः: by men
• पुम्भिः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• आषण्मासम्: for six months
• आषण्मासम्: Kaaladhikarana (Time extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मास (प्रातिपदिक) = षट् + मास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः द्विगुः (षट् मासाः)

• त्रिसंध्यतः: at the three daily sandhyās (thrice a day)
• त्रिसंध्यतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिसंध्य (प्रातिपदिक) = त्रि + संध्या
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययत्वेन प्रयोगः; अर्थः ‘त्रिः संध्यासु/त्रिसंध्यम्’ (thrice daily at the three sandhyās)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context typically Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devotees/audience within Purāṇic dialogue frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The narrator promises a precise iconographic description for devotees; a practitioner sits at the ghat at the three sandhyās, visualizing the devī for six months.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Sandhyā (three daily times)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular, disciplined contemplation of the deity’s form—aligned with daily sacred timings—yields profound auspicious results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā associated with Kāśī, presented as a locus where devotion and meditation bear exceptional fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditate on the goddess’s form for six months, observing the practice at the three sandhyās (dawn, midday, dusk).