Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

यथाकथंचित्पिंडानां तिस्रोशीतीः समाहितः । मासेनाश्नन्हविष्यस्य चंद्रस्यैति सलोकताम्

Transliteration

yathākathaṃcitpiṃḍānāṃ tisrośītīḥ samāhitaḥ | māsenāśnanhaviṣyasya caṃdrasyaiti salokatām

Translation

纵使仅能勉强守持八十三口之量，仍能安住其心，如此以haviṣya之食行持一月者，便得往生并居于月神旃陀罗（Candra）之界。

Word by Word

• यथाकथंचित्: somehow, in any manner
• यथाकथंचित्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + कथंचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: somehow/anyhow)

• पिण्डानाम्: of the food-balls
• पिण्डानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• तिस्रः: three
• तिस्रः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषणम् (अशीतिः)

• अशीतिः: eighties (i.e., eighty each)
• अशीतिः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशीतिः (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्या (80s) — ‘eighties’

• समाहितः: composed, attentive
• समाहितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषणम्

• मासेन: within a month / by a month
• मासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; काल-परिमाणे (within/by a month)

• अश्नन्: eating
• अश्नन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि—‘eating’

• हविष्यस्य: of havis
• हविष्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• चंद्रस्य: of the Moon
• चंद्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• एति: goes/attains
• एति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• सलोकताम्: the state of sharing the same world (with)
• सलोकताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-लोकता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः—सह लोकेन/तस्य लोके (having the same world; ‘world-status’)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vow-keeper counts morsels and days on a palm-leaf, eating simple haviṣya for a month; above, a luminous Moon-world is depicted as a serene celestial realm.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Candra (Moon)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere perseverance in a vow—maintaining composure and purity of food—yields definite spiritual fruit described in Purāṇic terms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa framework, where vows and their fruits are highlighted in the sacred geography of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A month-long regimen of haviṣya with a stated total measure of eighty-three morsels (as given) leading to Candraloka.