Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

चैत्रकृष्णप्रतिपदं समारभ्य प्रयत्नतः । आ चतुर्दशिपूज्यानि लिंगान्येतानि सत्तमैः

Transliteration

caitrakṛṣṇapratipadaṃ samārabhya prayatnataḥ | ā caturdaśipūjyāni liṃgānyetāni sattamaiḥ

Translation

“应当从恰特罗月黑半月初一谨慎开始，由至诚之上等信众勤勉礼拜这些林伽，直至第十四日。”

Word by Word

• चैत्रकृष्णप्रतिपदम्: the Pratipad (1st lunar day) of the dark fortnight of Caitra
• चैत्रकृष्णप्रतिपदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्र + कृष्ण + प्रतिपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (प्रतिपद्), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालवाचकं पदम् (time-expression)

• समारभ्य: having begun
• समारभ्य: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-रभ् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभाव-रूप (gerund/absolutive), क्रियाविशेषण

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort, diligently
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb in -tas), प्रकारवाचक

• आ: up to
• आ: Desha-Kala-adhikarana (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधि/पर्यन्तबोधक-अव्यय (up to)

• चतुर्दशि: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• चतुर्दशि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशिन्/चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक (on the fourteenth lunar day)

• पूज्यानि: to be worshipped
• पूज्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त; √पूज् धातु + यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/नीयतुल्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• सत्तमैः: by the best (men)
• सत्तमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; superlative of सत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; कर्तृकरणे (by)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caitra-kṛṣṇa Caturdaśa Mahāliṅga-pūjā (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni/sage audience (implied continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calendar-like procession: fourteen panels from pratipadā to caturdaśī, each showing a pilgrim offering water and bilva at a different Kāśī liṅga; a crescent moon wanes across the top to mark the dark fortnight of Caitra.

Characters & Entities

• Caitra
• Kṛṣṇa Pratipadā
• Caturdaśī
• Liṅga worship
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disciplined, day-by-day worship aligned with sacred time magnifies the merit of Kāśī pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s set of fourteen revered Śiva-liṅga shrines, worshipped as a unified circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A timed observance: worship from Caitra dark-fortnight Pratipadā through Caturdaśī, performed with diligence by devotees.