Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणाश्चैव गावश्च कुलमेकं द्विधाकृतम् । एकत्र मंत्रास्तिष्ठंति हविरेकत्र तिष्ठति

Transliteration

brāhmaṇāścaiva gāvaśca kulamekaṃ dvidhākṛtam | ekatra maṃtrāstiṣṭhaṃti havirekatra tiṣṭhati

Translation

ব্রাহ্মণ ও গাভী একটিই পবিত্র কুল, যা দুই রূপে প্রকাশিত—একদিকে মন্ত্রের অধিষ্ঠান, অন্যদিকে হবি (যজ্ঞাহুতি)-র অধিষ্ঠান।

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

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

• कुलम्: family/lineage
• कुलम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• द्विधा: in two parts
• द्विधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विधा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: ‘in two ways’)

• कृतम्: made/divided
• कृतम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; ‘made’

• एकत्र: in one place
• एकत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: ‘in one place’)

• मन्त्राः: mantras
• मन्त्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• तिष्ठन्ति: stand/are present
• तिष्ठन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• हविः: oblation
• हविः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन

• एकत्र: in one place
• एकत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तिष्ठति: stands/is present
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī ghat-side yajña setting: a brāhmaṇa recites mantras beside a calm cow; offerings (havis) are prepared, suggesting the unity of mantra and oblation as two forms of one sacred family.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Gauḥ (cow)
• Mantra
• Havis (oblation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through both sacred knowledge (mantra/Brāhmaṇa) and sacred offering (havis/cow); honoring both sustains purity and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s praise of dharma in Kāśī, where gifts and reverence gain heightened merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, yajña-supporting reverence: respect Brāhmaṇas (keepers of mantra) and protect/offer to cows (source/support of havis).