Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

खातंखातं च दंडाग्रैर्भूमिं कंदादिवृत्तयः । चक्रुः पुष्करिणीं रम्यां दंडखाताभिधां मुने

Transliteration

khātaṃkhātaṃ ca daṃḍāgrairbhūmiṃ kaṃdādivṛttayaḥ | cakruḥ puṣkariṇīṃ ramyāṃ daṃḍakhātābhidhāṃ mune

Translation

দণ্ডের অগ্রভাগ দিয়ে বারবার ভূমি খুঁড়ে, কন্দ-মূলাদি ভক্ষণে জীবিকা নির্বাহকারী সেই তপস্বীরা, হে মুনি, এক মনোরম পুষ্করিণী নির্মাণ করলেন—যা ‘দণ্ডখাতা’ নামে প্রসিদ্ধ হল।

Word by Word

• खातम्: dug
• खातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √खन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मविशेषणम् (PPP; neut., accusative singular; qualifying implied 'pit/digging')

• खातम्: dug again and again
• खातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √खन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पूर्ववत्; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

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

• दण्डाग्रैः: with the ends of staffs
• दण्डाग्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (neut., instrumental plural; 'with the tips/ends of staffs')

• भूमिम्: the ground/earth
• भूमिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (fem., accusative singular)

• कन्दादिवृत्तयः: those living on bulbs and the like
• कन्दादिवृत्तयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्द + आदि + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (fem., nominative plural; 'those whose livelihood is (from) bulbs etc.')

• चक्रुः: they made
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमा-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (Perfect; 3rd person plural)

• पुष्करिणीम्: a pond/tank
• पुष्करिणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्करिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (fem., accusative singular)

• रम्याम्: beautiful
• रम्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (fem., accusative singular; adjective)

• दण्डखाताभिधाम्: named 'Daṇḍakhātā'
• दण्डखाताभिधाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दण्ड + खाता + अभिधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (fem., accusative singular; 'having the name dandakhaṭā')

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन (masc., vocative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daṇḍakhātā (Puṣkariṇī/Kuṇḍa)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (frame listener)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetics repeatedly striking and scraping earth with the tips of their staffs, gradually forming a clear pond; roots and forest produce nearby; a sage-listener implied.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Ascetics (kandādi-vṛttayaḥ)
• Daṇḍakhātā (Puṣkariṇī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas (austere effort) transforms the landscape into tīrtha—sacred resources arise from disciplined renunciation and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The pond named Daṇḍakhātā (a puṣkariṇī/tank) within the Kāśī sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not explicitly; as a puṣkariṇī, it implies future acts like snāna (sacred bathing) and tīrtha-sevā.