Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

छत्राच्छादनिकाद्यर्थे वर्षाकालोचितैर्बहु । रात्रौ पाठप्रदीपैश्च पादाभ्यंजनकादिभिः

Transliteration

chatrācchādanikādyarthe varṣākālocitairbahu | rātrau pāṭhapradīpaiśca pādābhyaṃjanakādibhiḥ

Translation

Indem man vieles spendet, was zur Regenzeit passt—Schirme, Decken und dergleichen—und nachts Leselampen bereitstellt, dazu Fußsalbung und ähnliche Annehmlichkeiten—so leistet man in Kāśī fürsorglichen Dienst für Verehrung und Studium.

Word by Word

• छत्र-आच्छादनिका-आदि-अर्थे: for umbrellas, coverings, etc.
• छत्र-आच्छादनिका-आदि-अर्थे: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आच्छादनिका (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/प्रयोजन-निमित्त), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular; ‘for the purpose of umbrellas, coverings, etc.’

• वर्षा-काल-उचितैः: with things suitable for the rainy season
• वर्षा-काल-उचितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + उचित (कृदन्त; √वच्/√उच्?; प्रातिपदिकरूपेण ‘suitable’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; ‘suitable for the rainy season’

• बहु: in abundance
• बहु: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय — adverb ‘much/in abundance’

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (निपातवत् प्रयोगः) — Feminine, Locative, Singular; ‘at night’

• पाठ-प्रदीपैः: with reading lamps
• पाठ-प्रदीपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाठ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; ‘lamps for reading’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात — conjunction ‘and’

• पाद-अभ्यञ्जनक-आदिभिः: with foot-ointment and other items
• पाद-अभ्यञ्जनक-आदिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्यञ्जनक (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural; ‘foot-ointment (and) other (items)’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Monsoon clouds over Kāśī ghāṭs; pilgrims under umbrellas and shawls; inside a maṭha, students read by oil lamps; a sevaka applies oil to a traveler’s feet; temple corridors lit with rows of small lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• pāṭha (recitation/study)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes attentive care—supporting devotees and students with practical aids for each season and for nightly study.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, portrayed as a living center of worship and pāṭha where such service becomes especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of umbrellas/coverings in rains, and provision of study lamps and bodily comforts (like foot-oiling) for nighttime recitation.