Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

विचित्रैश्च तथा पात्रैः स्वर्णरौप्यादि निर्मितैः । अमृतस्वादुपक्वान्नैः पायसै श्च सशर्करैः

Transliteration

vicitraiśca tathā pātraiḥ svarṇaraupyādi nirmitaiḥ | amṛtasvādupakvānnaiḥ pāyasai śca saśarkaraiḥ

Translation

Ferner gaben sie kunstvolle Gefäße, aus Gold, Silber und dergleichen gefertigt, dazu köstliche gekochte Speisen, süß wie Nektar, und Pāyasa (Milchreis) mit Zucker vermengt.

Word by Word

• विचित्रैः: with various/ornate
• विचित्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण) बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (instrumental plural, qualifying)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थे (adverb: likewise/also)

• पात्रैः: with vessels/containers
• पात्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण) बहुवचनम् (instrumental plural)

• स्वर्णरौप्यादि: gold, silver, etc.
• स्वर्णरौप्यादि: Sambandha (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + रौप्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; समासः (द्वन्द्वः) ‘स्वर्णं च रौप्यं च’ + ‘आदि’ (gold, silver, etc.)

• निर्मितैः: made/constructed
• निर्मितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मि (धातु) → निर्मित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः; पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; ‘पात्रैः’ इति विशेषणम् (past passive participle: made)

• अमृतस्वादुपक्वान्नैः: with nectar-sweet cooked foods
• अमृतस्वादुपक्वान्नैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वादु (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्व (कृदन्त) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-तत्पुरुषसमासभावः: ‘अमृतवत् स्वादु’ इति + ‘पक्व-अन्न’ (sweet like nectar, cooked food)

• पायसैः: with rice-pudding/milk-sweet
• पायसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम् (instrumental plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• सशर्करैः: together with sugar
• सशर्करैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शर्करा (प्रातिपदिक) + स (उपसर्गसदृशः ‘सह’)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः ‘शर्करया सह’; नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; ‘पायसैः/पक्वान्नैः’ इत्यादीनां विशेषणम् (with sugar)

Speaker

Parāśara (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims/householders in Kāśī present gold and silver vessels filled with fragrant, freshly cooked offerings—pāyasa gleaming with sugar—before distributing to sādhus and brāhmaṇas near a shrine/ghāṭa.

Characters & Entities

• Dāna recipients (pilgrims/holy residents)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a sacred place like Kāśī, charity becomes refined worship—offering both sustenance and dignified gifts enhances the merit of pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s tīrtha-environment is the setting; the verse highlights the culture of dāna performed there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of vessels (pātra-dāna) and annadāna including pāyasa with sugar.