Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

बहुकौतुकवस्तूनि समर्च्यद्विजदंपती । भोगदानमिदं काम्यं प्रतिसंक्रमणं रवेः

Transliteration

bahukautukavastūni samarcyadvijadaṃpatī | bhogadānamidaṃ kāmyaṃ pratisaṃkramaṇaṃ raveḥ

Translation

Nachdem man das Brahmanenpaar gebührend mit vielen erfreulichen Gaben verehrt hat, soll diese ersehnte «Gabe der Genüsse» beim Saṃkramaṇa des Ravi, dem Übergang der Sonne, vollzogen werden.

Word by Word

• बहुकौतुकवस्तूनि: many festive items
• बहुकौतुकवस्तूनि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक) + वस्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (बहूनि कौतुकवस्तूनि)

• समर्च्य: having worshipped
• समर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव; ‘having worshipped/after honoring’

• द्विजदंपती: the brahmin couple (husband and wife)
• द्विजदंपती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + दम्पती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष (द्विजयोः दम्पती)

• भोगदानम्: gift of enjoyments/luxuries
• भोगदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (भोगस्य दानम्)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Determiner/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• काम्यम्: desirable
• काम्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (desiderative/fit-to-be-desired), विशेषण (भोगदानम्/इदम्)

• प्रतिसंक्रमणम्: the (sun’s) transition (saṅkrānti)
• प्रतिसंक्रमणम्: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रति + सम् + क्रम् (धातु) → संक्रमण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• रवेः: of the Sun
• रवेः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a saṅkrānti day in Kāśī, a donor couple ceremonially honors a Brahmin couple with many delightful gifts; the sun motif appears (ravi) indicating the transit.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Sun)
• Dvija couple

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity gains greater sanctity when offered to worthy recipients with proper honor and at auspicious cosmic times.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśī-khaṇḍa milieu; the emphasis is on saṃkramaṇa-timed dāna rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform bhoga-dāna by honoring a Brahmin couple and giving delightful articles at the Sun’s saṃkramaṇa (Sankranti).