Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

तादृक्तुष्टिर्न मे दानैस्तादृक्तुष्टिर्न मे मखैः । न तुष्टिस्तपसा तादृग्यादृशी काशिसंस्तवैः

Transliteration

tādṛktuṣṭirna me dānaistādṛktuṣṭirna me makhaiḥ | na tuṣṭistapasā tādṛgyādṛśī kāśisaṃstavaiḥ

Translation

Weder Gaben erfreuen mich so, noch Opferhandlungen; auch Askese gefällt mir nicht in solcher Weise—wie die Wonne, die ich aus Hymnen zum Lob von Kāśī empfange.

Word by Word

• tādṛk: such (of that kind)
• tādṛk: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tādṛś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying tuṣṭiḥ)

• tuṣṭiḥ: satisfaction
• tuṣṭiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tuṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), निषेध (negation particle)

• me: of me / my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• dānaiḥ: by gifts, by donations
• dānaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tādṛk: such
• tādṛk: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tādṛś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying tuṣṭiḥ)

• tuṣṭiḥ: satisfaction
• tuṣṭiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tuṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), निषेध (negation particle)

• me: of me / my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• makhaiḥ: by sacrifices
• makhaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), निषेध (negation particle)

• tuṣṭiḥ: satisfaction
• tuṣṭiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tuṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tapasā: by austerity
• tapasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• tādṛk: such
• tādṛk: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tādṛś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying tuṣṭiḥ, understood)

• yādṛśī: as (the kind which)
• yādṛśī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yādṛś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adjective)

• kāśi-saṃstavaiḥ: by praises of Kāśī
• kāśi-saṃstavaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃstava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) (saṃstava), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Genitive determinative)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (addressed directly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A comparative tableau: dāna, yajña, and tapas appear as offerings, yet Śiva’s face brightens most when a devotee sings Kāśī-saṃstava; Kāśī’s skyline shines behind him.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional glorification of Kāśī is presented as the most pleasing offering to Śiva, surpassing external rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), through kāśi-saṃstava (praise of Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stavana/saṃstava (hymnic praise) is elevated above dāna, yajña, and tapas as an offering.