Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

ख्यातः स्याद्येन विधिना सर्वत्र विधिपावनम् । नाकार्षीन्निर्गमं चास्य चतुर्थे मासि मंदधीः

Transliteration

khyātaḥ syādyena vidhinā sarvatra vidhipāvanam | nākārṣīnnirgamaṃ cāsya caturthe māsi maṃdadhīḥ

Translation

جس مقررہ ودھی سے ہر جگہ شاستری قاعدے کے مطابق پاکیزگی اور استحکام حاصل ہوتا ہے، اُس کند ذہن سرپرست نے چوتھے مہینے میں بچے کا ‘نِرگمن’ سنسکار بھی ادا نہ کیا۔

Word by Word

• ख्यातः: well-known, famed
• ख्यातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्यात (कृदन्त; √ख्यै धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — ‘प्रसिद्धः/ख्यातः’

• स्यात्: would be / should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध/साधन-निर्देश

• विधिना: by the prescribed rite/method
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• विधिपावनम्: purifying through proper rites
• विधिपावनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधि + पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘विधिना पावनम्’/‘विधेः पावनम्’)

• न: not
• न: Kriya-nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• अकार्षीत्: did (perform)
• अकार्षीत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृष् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘अकरोत्’ इत्यर्थः

• निर्गमम्: going out / exit-rite
• निर्गमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अस्य: of him/this (child)
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• चतुर्थे: in the fourth
• चतुर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘चतुर्थे (मासि)’

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• मंदधीः: a dull-witted person
• मंदधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दधी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिसदृश-विशेषणार्थक नाम (‘मन्दा धीः यस्य’)

Speaker

Citragupta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (typical frame; not explicit here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A household scene in Kāśī: an infant kept indoors while elders debate rites; the ‘fourth-month going-out’ (niṣkramaṇa) is conspicuously absent, creating a mood of omission and foreboding.

Characters & Entities

• Citragupta
• Niṣkramaṇa (first outing rite)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual order (vidhi) is portrayed as purificatory; neglecting it is treated as a moral lapse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named; the verse is part of a karmic-judgment episode within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The fourth-month ‘going-out’ rite (niṣkramaṇa/nirgama) is referenced as not having been performed.