Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

तत्र दत्त्वा महादानं तत्र कृत्वा महाव्रतम् । तत्राधीत्याखिलं वेदं च्यवते न नरो दिवः

Transliteration

tatra dattvā mahādānaṃ tatra kṛtvā mahāvratam | tatrādhītyākhilaṃ vedaṃ cyavate na naro divaḥ

Translation

Wer dort eine große Gabe (mahādāna) spendet, dort ein großes Gelübde (mahāvrata) vollzieht und dort den gesamten Veda studiert, der Mensch fällt nicht aus dem Himmel herab.

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √dā (धाातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपद-धातु; पूर्वक्रिया (having given)

• mahā-dānam: a great gift
• mahā-dānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महद् दानम्)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• kṛtvā: having performed
• kṛtvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √kṛ (धाातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having done/performed)

• mahā-vratam: a great vow
• mahā-vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महद् व्रतम्)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• adhītya: having studied
• adhītya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhi + √i (धाातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); उपसर्गः अधि; पूर्वक्रिया (having studied)

• akhilam: entire
• akhilam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• vedam: the Veda
• vedam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• cyavate: falls away
• cyavate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √cyu (धाातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; च्यवते=falls/declines

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• divaḥ: from heaven
• divaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: div (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mukti Maṇḍapa / Avimukta-Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Traditional interlocutor (often Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych-like scene in one pavilion: (1) giving mahādāna, (2) undertaking a vow with sacred thread and water saṅkalpa, (3) reciting Veda before a liṅga; above, a stable svarga realm symbolized by an unshaking celestial seat.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī sanctifies charity, vows, and Vedic study so powerfully that their merit becomes enduring and unshakable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī sacred area indicated by ‘tatra’ within this Maṇḍapa-centered chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mahādāna (great charity), mahāvrata (great vow), and complete Vedic study/recitation performed there.