Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अश्वत्थ सेवा न कृता त्यक्त्वा चार्कं त्रयोदशीम् । सद्यः पापहरा सा हि न रात्रौ न भृगोर्दिने

Transliteration

aśvattha sevā na kṛtā tyaktvā cārkaṃ trayodaśīm | sadyaḥ pāpaharā sā hi na rātrau na bhṛgordine

Translation

我未曾奉事阿湿婆他（aśvattha，圣榕/菩提树），亦忽略了阿尔迦十三日斋（Arka-trayodaśī）。此行确能立刻除罪；然而我既未在夜间行之，也未在婆利古之日（周五）行之。

Word by Word

• अश्वत्थ-सेवा: service to the aśvattha tree
• अश्वत्थ-सेवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nom., Sg.)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• कृता: done, performed
• कृता: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘done’ (Past passive participle, Fem., Nom., Sg.)

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अर्कम्: the arka plant / sun (arka)
• अर्कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Acc., Sg.)

• त्रयोदशीम्: the thirteenth lunar day
• त्रयोदशीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयोदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Acc., Sg.)

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• पापहरा: sin-removing
• पापहरा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हरा (प्रातिपदिक; √हृ ‘to take away’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (Feminine, Nom., Sg.)

• सा: that (practice)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Pronoun, Fem., Nom., Sg.)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये-अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Feminine, Loc., Sg.)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• भृगोः: of Bhṛgu (i.e., Friday/Venus)
• भृगोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Masculine, Gen., Sg.)

• दिने: on the day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Neuter, Loc., Sg.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands before an aśvattha tree with lamps and water-pot, confessing neglect of aśvattha-sevā and Arka-trayodaśī; the city’s ghats and shrines suggest Kāśī’s living dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvattha
• Bhṛgu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple, accessible observances—like sacred tree worship and specific tithi-vratas—are praised as swift means of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting is Kāśī, but the verse highlights vrata and aśvattha-sevā as general dharmic practices.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aśvattha-sevā and Arka-trayodaśī observance, described as sadyaḥ-pāpaharā (immediately sin-removing), with timing cautions (not at night / not on Friday).