Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

माघशुक्लचतुर्थ्यां तु नक्तव्रतपरायणाः । ये त्वां ढुंढेर्चयिष्यंति तेऽर्च्याः स्युरसुरद्रुहाम्

Transliteration

māghaśuklacaturthyāṃ tu naktavrataparāyaṇāḥ | ye tvāṃ ḍhuṃḍhercayiṣyaṃti te'rcyāḥ syurasuradruhām

Translation

然而在摩伽月（Māgha）明半月的四日斋（Caturthī）之时，那些专心奉行夜斋（naktavrata）而礼敬供养于你者，噢杜恩德——此等之人，纵在诸天（诸神）这些阿修罗之敌的行列中，也堪受尊崇。

Word by Word

• माघ-शुक्ल-चतुर्थ्याम्: on the 4th lunar day of the bright fortnight of Māgha
• माघ-शुक्ल-चतुर्थ्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ (प्रातिपदिक) + शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + चतुर्थी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—माघस्य शुक्लपक्षस्य चतुर्थी (locative time)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• नक्त-व्रत-परायणाः: devoted to the night-fast vow
• नक्त-व्रत-परायणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ye इत्यस्य)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ढुंढे: O Ḍhuṃḍhi
• ढुंढे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ढुंढि (प्रातिपदिक; देवता-नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन

• अर्चयिष्यन्ति: will worship
• अर्चयिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/लृट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• अर्च्याः: worthy of worship
• अर्च्याः: Predicate complement
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्च्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण, अर्च् + यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (ते इत्यस्य)

• स्युः: would be/should be
• स्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• असुर-द्रुहाम्: of the enemies of the asuras (demons)
• असुर-द्रुहाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रुह् (धातु; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक द्रुह् + क्विप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; ‘असुराणां द्रुहः’ (genitive of relation)

Speaker

Skanda (vrata specification and fruit) in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa Skanda-to-Agastya frame

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhūṇḍhirāja (Dhūṇḍhe) in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A sage/interlocutor in the Kāśī-māhātmya dialogue frame (traditionally Agastya or similar recipients in Purāṇic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-fast votaries in white garments approach a small Gaṇeśa shrine of Dhūṇḍhirāja in Kāśī on Māgha-śukla Caturthī, offering lamps and flowers; the deity’s protective aura radiates, and celestial beings witness the honor bestowed.

Characters & Entities

• Māgha
• Śukla Caturthī
• Nakta-vrata
• Dhūṇḍhe (Gaṇeśa)
• Devas (asura-druh)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time-specific vows done with restraint (fasting) and devotion elevate a person to divine esteem.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as the domain of Dhūṇḍhirāja worship (site implied by the chapter context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

On Māgha bright Caturthī, observe naktavrata (night-fast) and worship Dhūṇḍhirāja Gaṇeśa.