Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

यदि दैवादिह प्राप्तस्त्रिसंयोगोऽतिदुर्घटः । अविचारं तदा देयं सर्वस्वं चिरसंचितम्

Transliteration

yadi daivādiha prāptastrisaṃyogo'tidurghaṭaḥ | avicāraṃ tadā deyaṃ sarvasvaṃ cirasaṃcitam

Translation

Wenn man durch göttliches Geschick hier diese überaus seltene „dreifache Fügung“ erlangt, dann soll man ohne Zögern als Gabe sogar den gesamten, lange angesammelten Besitz spenden.

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक-समुच्चय (conditional particle)

• दैवात्: by fate, by destiny
• दैवात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेतु/निमित्तार्थे (by fate)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• प्राप्तः: obtained, attained
• प्राप्तः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √āp (आप्) + pra- (उपसर्ग) ; prāpta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• त्रिसंयोगः: the threefold conjunction/meeting
• त्रिसंयोगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/संख्यापूर्वपद-समासः (threefold conjunction)

• अतिदुर्घटः: extremely hard to obtain
• अतिदुर्घटः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय-पूर्वपद) + durghaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; उपसर्गपूर्वक-विशेषण (very difficult)

• अविचारम्: without deliberation
• अविचारम्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- (नञ्) + vicāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (without deliberation)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• देयम्: should be given
• देयम्: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative qualifier/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dā (दा) ; deya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भाव्य/विधेयार्थक कृदन्त (यत्/अनीयर्-समर्थ); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (to be given)

• सर्वस्वम्: all one’s wealth/everything
• सर्वस्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (one's entire property)

• चिरसंचितम्: accumulated over a long time
• चिरसंचितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃcita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √ci संचयने)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुष (long-accumulated)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/seekers addressed through the dialogue frame of Kāśīkhaṇḍa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Maṇikarṇikā, having arrived by divine fortune, offers accumulated wealth as charity; the ghāṭa steps, riverfront bustle, lamps, and the solemn presence of śmaśāna rites frame the act of tyāga.

Characters & Entities

• Daiva (Divine providence)
• Trisaṃyoga (triple conjunction)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When the rare opportunity of sacred circumstances arises in Kāśī, one should practice generous charity without hesitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to the Kāśī context, elaborated as Maṇikarṇikā and its associated sacred attainments in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna—giving charity, even up to one’s accumulated wealth, when the rare sacred conjunction is obtained.