Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

संक्रमेषु न यैर्दत्तं न स्नातं तीर्थवारिषु । विशेषहोमो न कृतः कपिलाज्याप्लुतैस्तिलैः

Transliteration

saṃkrameṣu na yairdattaṃ na snātaṃ tīrthavāriṣu | viśeṣahomo na kṛtaḥ kapilājyāplutaistilaiḥ

Translation

Diejenigen, die zur Saṅkrānti weder Almosen geben noch in den Wassern eines Tīrtha baden und auch nicht das besondere Homa mit Sesam, getränkt in Ghee einer kapilā‑Kuh, vollziehen—

Word by Word

• संक्रमेषु: at the saṃkrāntis (solar transitions)
• संक्रमेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• यैः: by whom (those who)
• यैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दत्तम्: given (donated)
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• स्नातम्: bathed
• स्नातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.)

• तीर्थवारिषु: in sacred waters
• तीर्थवारिषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + वारि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य वारि)

• विशेषहोमः: a special oblation (homa)
• विशेषहोमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष + होम (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः (विशेषः होमः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• कृतः: done
• कृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• कपिलाज्याप्लुतैः: smeared with tawny ghee
• कपिलाज्याप्लुतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपिल + आज्य + आप्लुत (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक-सम्भव, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुषः (कपिलस्य आज्येन आप्लुताः)

• तिलैः: with sesame seeds
• तिलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī (implied tīrtha ideal) / tīrtha-waters generally

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a householder at saṅkrānti ignoring a nearby tīrtha and homa-fire; in the background, the Sun’s transition is marked, while ritual implements (tila, kapilā-ghṛta, ladle) lie unused—foreshadowing later misery.

Characters & Entities

• Saṅkrānti
• Tīrtha
• Homa
• Kapilā (tawny cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred times demand sacred action; neglecting charity, tīrtha-bathing, and prescribed offerings is treated as a loss of auspicious opportunity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse mentions tīrtha-waters in general; within Kāśī-khaṇḍa, this naturally evokes Kāśī’s network of sacred bathing places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

At saṅkrānti: dāna (charity), tīrtha-snāna (bathing), and a viśeṣa-homa using sesame soaked in kapilā-ghee.