Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

वापीकूपतडागानामारामाणां पदेपदे । शुचिभिर्द्रव्यसंभारैः कर्तारो यत्र भूरिशः

Transliteration

vāpīkūpataḍāgānāmārāmāṇāṃ padepade | śucibhirdravyasaṃbhāraiḥ kartāro yatra bhūriśaḥ

Translation

Auf Schritt und Tritt gibt es dort viele Erbauer von Brunnen, Teichen, Wasserbecken und Gärten, die reine und reichliche Vorräte an Materialien bereitstellen.

Word by Word

• वापी: well/step-well (vāpī)
• वापी: Samuccita (Member of list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कूप: well
• कूप: Samuccita (Member of list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तडागानाम्: of ponds/tanks
• तडागानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तडाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• आरामाणाम्: of gardens/groves
• आरामाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आराम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पदे: at a step/place
• पदे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पदे: at a step/place
• पदे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• शुचिभिः: with pure/clean
• शुचिभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) / नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) (contextual agreement with द्रव्यसंभारैः), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• द्रव्यसंभारैः: with collections of materials
• द्रव्यसंभारैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य + संभार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कर्तारः: doers, builders, makers
• कर्तारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (relative adverb of place)

• भूरिशः: many, abundant
• भूरिशः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूरिशस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-friendly Kāśī: masons and donors building stepwells and tanks; gardeners tending flowering groves; travelers drawing water; shaded paths near ghats.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a holy land, devotion expresses itself as public welfare—creating water sources and gardens is a form of dharmic merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is praised as richly endowed with tīrtha-supporting infrastructure—wells, tanks, and groves.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dāna-like prescription: building and maintaining vāpīs, kūpas, taḍāgas, and ārāmas with clean resources.