Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

सन्निहत्यां कुरुक्षेत्रे तमोग्रस्ते विवस्वति । यत्फलं पिंडदानेन तज्ज्ञानोदे दिने दिने

Transliteration

sannihatyāṃ kurukṣetre tamograste vivasvati | yatphalaṃ piṃḍadānena tajjñānode dine dine

Translation

في كوروكشيترا، في مناسبة سَنِّهِتْيَا (Sannihatyā)، حين يُحجَبُ قرصُ الشمس بالظلمة (كسوف)، فإنّ الثواب الذي يُنال بتقديم قُرابين البيِنْدا (piṇḍa)—ذلك الثواب بعينه يُنال في جْنيانودا (Jñānoda) يومًا بعد يوم.

Word by Word

• सन्निहत्याम्: at Sannihatī
• सन्निहत्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्निहति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक (a sacred place/occasion named Sannihatī)

• कुरुक्षेत्रे: in Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु-क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक; कुरु + क्षेत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः

• तमोग्रस्ते: when the sun is eclipsed/covered by darkness
• तमोग्रस्ते: Adhikarana (Time/Condition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमस्-ग्रस्त (प्रातिपदिक; तमस् + ग्रस्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः; विशेषणं ‘विवस्वति’

• विवस्वति: in/when (the) Sun (is so)
• विवस्वति: Adhikarana (Time/Condition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवस्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सूर्यवाचक

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पिण्डदानेन: by offering piṇḍas (funeral rice-balls)
• पिण्डदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड-दान (प्रातिपदिक; पिण्ड + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पिण्डस्य दानम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशक-सर्वनाम

• ज्ञानोदे: at Jñānoda (tīrtha)
• ज्ञानोदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानोद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तीर्थ-नाम

• दिने: on a day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दिने: day by day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (distributive: day by day)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñānoda-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rṣi audience / internal interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Split-scene: left, Kurukṣetra’s Sannihitī with an eclipsed sun and crowds offering piṇḍas; right, tranquil Jñānoda in Kāśī where a lone pilgrim offers piṇḍas under a normal sun—yet the right side glows brighter, signifying ‘dine dine’ equivalence.

Characters & Entities

• Kurukṣetra
• Sannihatyā/Sannihitī
• Sūrya (Vivasvat)
• Eclipse
• Piṇḍa-dāna
• Jñānoda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as granting extraordinary merit continuously, equal to rare, time-bound sacred moments elsewhere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñānoda (in Kāśī); Kurukṣetra’s Sannihitī context is used for comparison.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍa-dāna (offering piṇḍas) for ancestors; the verse contrasts it with eclipse-time rites at Kurukṣetra.