Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

संक्रमेषु न यैर्दत्तं न स्नातं तीर्थवारिषु । विशेषहोमो न कृतः कपिलाज्याप्लुतैस्तिलैः

Transliteration

saṃkrameṣu na yairdattaṃ na snātaṃ tīrthavāriṣu | viśeṣahomo na kṛtaḥ kapilājyāplutaistilaiḥ

Translation

凡在转节（saṅkrānti）之时不行布施、不入圣地（tīrtha）之水沐浴，亦不作殊胜火供（homa），以浸于黄褐母牛酥油之芝麻为供者——

Word by Word

• संक्रमेषु: at the saṃkrāntis (solar transitions)
• संक्रमेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• यैः: by whom (those who)
• यैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दत्तम्: given (donated)
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.)

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

• स्नातम्: bathed
• स्नातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.)

• तीर्थवारिषु: in sacred waters
• तीर्थवारिषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + वारि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य वारि)

• विशेषहोमः: a special oblation (homa)
• विशेषहोमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष + होम (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः (विशेषः होमः)

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

• कृतः: done
• कृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• कपिलाज्याप्लुतैः: smeared with tawny ghee
• कपिलाज्याप्लुतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपिल + आज्य + आप्लुत (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक-सम्भव, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुषः (कपिलस्य आज्येन आप्लुताः)

• तिलैः: with sesame seeds
• तिलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī (implied tīrtha ideal) / tīrtha-waters generally

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a householder at saṅkrānti ignoring a nearby tīrtha and homa-fire; in the background, the Sun’s transition is marked, while ritual implements (tila, kapilā-ghṛta, ladle) lie unused—foreshadowing later misery.

Characters & Entities

• Saṅkrānti
• Tīrtha
• Homa
• Kapilā (tawny cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred times demand sacred action; neglecting charity, tīrtha-bathing, and prescribed offerings is treated as a loss of auspicious opportunity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse mentions tīrtha-waters in general; within Kāśī-khaṇḍa, this naturally evokes Kāśī’s network of sacred bathing places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

At saṅkrānti: dāna (charity), tīrtha-snāna (bathing), and a viśeṣa-homa using sesame soaked in kapilā-ghee.