Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

यथाशक्ति च देयानि दानान्यत्र सुगुप्तवत् । अन्नान्यपि च देयानि विघ्नान्परिजिहीर्षुणा

Transliteration

yathāśakti ca deyāni dānānyatra suguptavat | annānyapi ca deyāni vighnānparijihīrṣuṇā

Translation

Hier soll man nach eigener Kraft Almosen geben, behutsam und ohne Zurschaustellung. Und man soll auch Speise spenden, wer Hindernisse abwehren möchte.

Word by Word

• यथाशक्ति: according to one's capacity
• यथाशक्ति: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययत्वेन प्रकारवाचक (according to ability)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक

• देयानि: should be given
• देयानि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; दा धातोः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विधेय; अर्हार्थक (gerundive: 'to be given')

• दानानि: gifts, donations
• दानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक

• सुगुप्तवत्: as if well-concealed (secretly)
• सुगुप्तवत्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुगुप्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; सु + गुप्त, गुप् धातोः) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमावाचक (वत्-प्रत्ययान्तं क्रियाविशेषणम्: 'like/ as if well-hidden')

• अन्नानि: food (grains)
• अन्नानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक

• देयानि: should be given
• देयानि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; दा धातोः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विधेय; अर्हार्थक

• विघ्नान्: obstacles
• विघ्नान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• परिजिहीर्षुणा: by one wishing to remove (them)
• परिजिहीर्षुणा: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि+हृ (धातु) → जिहीर्षु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; इच्छार्थक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; इच्छार्थक कृदन्त (desiderative/intentional: 'wishing to remove')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (dāna emphasis)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim discreetly offers bowls of food and small gifts to needy people near a dharmaśālā, avoiding attention; the atmosphere is compassionate and practical, with Kāśī’s lanes and ghats in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Dāna
• Anna-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity—especially food-giving—done humbly and within one’s means is a powerful dharmic act that removes impediments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī broadly, as the setting where dāna is especially recommended and fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yathāśakti-dāna (charity according to capacity), performed discreetly, with special emphasis on anna-dāna to overcome obstacles.