Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

मदर्थं तत्र यो दद्याद्दुकूलानि शुचीन्यहो । माल्यानि सुविचित्राणि यक्षकर्दमवंति च

Transliteration

madarthaṃ tatra yo dadyāddukūlāni śucīnyaho | mālyāni suvicitrāṇi yakṣakardamavaṃti ca

Translation

যি কোনোবাই তাত মোৰ অৰ্থে পৱিত্ৰ দুকূল (বস্ত্ৰ) দান কৰে, আৰু অতি বিচিত্ৰ মাল্য, লগতে যক্ষ-যোগ্য সুগন্ধি লেপো অৰ্পণ কৰে—সিয়ে মোৰ প্ৰসন্নতা লাভ কৰে।

Word by Word

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (समासाङ्गम्)

• अर्थम्: for the sake (of)
• अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• दुकूलानि: garments, fine cloths
• दुकूलानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुकूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• शुचीनि: pure, clean
• शुचीनि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (दुकूलानि)

• अहो: ah!, indeed
• अहो: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार-निपात (exclamatory particle)

• माल्यानि: garlands
• माल्यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• सुविचित्राणि: very variegated/beautiful
• सुविचित्राणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (माल्यानि); कर्मधारयः (सु-विचित्राणि)

• यक्षकर्दमवन्ति: having yakṣa-musk/fragrance (lit. yakṣa-mud)
• यक्षकर्दमवन्ति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यक्ष + कर्दम + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (माल्यानि/द्रव्याणि); तत्पुरुषः (यक्षस्य कर्दमः) + वत् (possessing)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śṛṅgāra-maṇḍapa (offering spot)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied audience in Kāśī-māhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee presents folded white cloth, bright garlands, and fragrant paste before Śiva’s sacred seat/maṇḍapa; attendants arrange offerings; the air is perfumed and calm.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Dāna (offerings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional giving (dāna/upacāra) in a sacred place becomes a direct act of worship that attracts divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The worship-zone associated with Śiva’s palace/pavilions in Kāśī’s sacred topography (as described in this adhyāya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering clean garments, beautiful garlands, and fragrant unguents as pūjā-upacāras for Śiva.