Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

मंगलारार्तिकज्योतिस्त्रिसंध्यं पक्षिणोस्तयोः । नेत्रांत निर्विशन्नित्यं भक्तचेष्टां प्रदर्शयेत्

Transliteration

maṃgalārārtikajyotistrisaṃdhyaṃ pakṣiṇostayoḥ | netrāṃta nirviśannityaṃ bhaktaceṣṭāṃ pradarśayet

Translation

ครั้นถึงสามยามแห่งสันธยา แสงมงคลแห่งอารตีส่องเข้าสู่หางตาของนกทั้งสองอยู่เป็นนิตย์ ประหนึ่งกำลังแสดงกิริยาบูชาของเหล่าภักตะให้พวกมันประจักษ์

Word by Word

• मङ्गल-आरार्तिक-ज्योतिः: the auspicious ārārtika-lamp light
• मङ्गल-आरार्तिक-ज्योतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक) + आरार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (आरार्तिकस्य ज्योतिः, मङ्गलरूपम्)

• त्रि-सन्ध्यम्: at the three junction-times (thrice daily)
• त्रि-सन्ध्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + सन्ध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयः सन्ध्याः यस्य/त्रिसन्ध्यम्)

• पक्षिणोः: of the two birds
• पक्षिणोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन

• तयोः: of those two
• तयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन

• नेत्र-अन्तम्: the corner/end of the eye
• नेत्र-अन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (नेत्रस्य अन्तः/अन्तम्)

• निर्विशन्: entering, going into
• निर्विशन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-विश् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-द्वितीया एकवचन (adverbial accusative)

• भक्त-चेष्टाम्: devotional conduct/gesture
• भक्त-चेष्टाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + चेष्टा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (भक्तस्य चेष्टा)

• प्रदर्शयेत्: should show, would display
• प्रदर्शयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trilocana-śiva (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-seeker interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn, noon, and dusk, a priest waves a bright ārati lamp; the flame’s auspicious glow catches the pigeons’ eyes at the corners, as if showing them the devotees’ worship gestures.

Characters & Entities

• ārati (ārārtika)
• Trilocana (Śiva, implied)
• devotees (bhakta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular temple worship—especially lamp-offering—radiates sanctity that blesses even incidental witnesses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The worship routine at Trilocana Śiva’s temple precinct in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Trisaṃdhyā ārati/dīpa (lamp) worship—performed at morning, midday, and evening.