Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

अयने विषुवे चापि षडशीतिमुखेषु वा । विष्णुपद्यां च ये दद्युर्महादानानि सुव्रताः

Transliteration

ayane viṣuve cāpi ṣaḍaśītimukheṣu vā | viṣṇupadyāṃ ca ye dadyurmahādānāni suvratāḥ

Translation

Jene gelübdetreuen Übenden, die große Gaben zu den Sonnenwenden, zu den Tagundnachtgleichen, beim Eintritt der sechsundachtzig heiligen Zeitfugen und auch an Viṣṇupadī spenden, werden als Hüter edler Gelübde gepriesen.

Word by Word

• अयने: at the solstice (ayana)
• अयने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (neuter locative singular)

• विषुवे: at the equinox
• विषुवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter locative singular)

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

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चय-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• षडशीतिमुखेषु: at the (eighty-six) ‘mukhas’/occasions called ṣaḍaśīti
• षडशीतिमुखेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षडशीति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (षडशीतिः संख्या यस्य मुखस्य/मुखानां) (neuter locative plural)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• विष्णुपद्याम्: on Viṣṇupadī (a sacred day/occasion)
• विष्णुपद्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (विष्णोः पद्या) (feminine locative singular)

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

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (masculine nominative plural relative pronoun)

• दद्युः: should give
• दद्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (should give)

• महादानानि: great gifts, major donations
• महादानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महानि दानानि) (neuter accusative plural)

• सुव्रताः: men of good vows
• सुव्रताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सुन्दरं व्रतं येषाम्) (masculine nominative plural)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a Kāśī ghāṭ during a solar transition day, offering gifts—cloth, grain, coins—to brāhmaṇas and the needy; the sun is depicted at a liminal position (dawn/noon), emphasizing ayana/viṣuva symbolism.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇupadī
• Ayana
• Viṣuva
• Ṣaḍaśīti-mukha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed at powerful calendrical junctions is extolled as a high form of dharma that amplifies merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s glorification of sacred practice connected to Kāśī; this verse focuses on sacred times rather than naming a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mahādāna (major charity) is prescribed on ayana (solstice), viṣuva (equinox), ṣaḍaśīti-mukha occasions, and Viṣṇupadī.