Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

राधादिफाल्गुनांतासु तृतीयासु व्रतं चरेत् । क्रमेण दंतकाष्ठानि कथयामि तवानघे

Transliteration

rādhādiphālgunāṃtāsu tṛtīyāsu vrataṃ caret | krameṇa daṃtakāṣṭhāni kathayāmi tavānaghe

Translation

自罗陀第三日（Rādhā-tṛtīyā）起，直至法尔古那月（Phālguna）终了诸第三日，应于每一第三日行此誓。无垢者啊，我今将依次宣说洁齿木（dantakāṣṭha）所当用之枝条。

Word by Word

• राधादिफाल्गुनान्तासु: in the (tithis) from Rādhā etc. up to the end of Phālguna
• राधादिफाल्गुनान्तासु: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राधा + आदि + फाल्गुनान्त (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (in the (tithis) from Rādhā etc. up to Phālguna-end)

• तृतीयासु: on the third (tithis)
• तृतीयासु: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृतीया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कालाधिकरणम्

• व्रतम्: vow, observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्

• चरेत्: should perform
• चरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• क्रमेण: in sequence
• क्रमेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial instrumental: in order/ क्रमशः)

• दन्तकाष्ठानि: tooth-sticks (chewing sticks)
• दन्तकाष्ठानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), बहुवचनम्

• कथयामि: I tell, I describe
• कथयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिच्)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• तव: to you / of you
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• अनघे: O sinless one
• अनघे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; विशेषणरूपेण सम्बोधनम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pulomajā (anaghā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-sage figure instructs a devoted woman, pointing to a lunar calendar (tithi wheel) and a bundle of tooth-sticks from different trees laid out in order; background hints of Kāśī lanes/ghāṭas.

Characters & Entities

• Rādhā-tṛtīyā
• Phālguna (month)
• Tṛtīyā (lunar day)
• Dantakāṣṭha (tooth-stick)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular, tithi-based discipline across the year is praised as a structured path of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, situating the vrata within the sanctity of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observing a tṛtīyā-vrata through the year and following prescribed dantakāṣṭha (tooth-stick) usage.