Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

परोपकरणं चात्र कर्तव्यं सुधिया सदा । पर्वस्वपि विशेषेण स्नानदानादिकाः क्रियाः

Transliteration

paropakaraṇaṃ cātra kartavyaṃ sudhiyā sadā | parvasvapi viśeṣeṇa snānadānādikāḥ kriyāḥ

Translation

Hier soll der Verständige stets anderen beistehen. Und besonders an Fest- und Gelübdetagen sind Handlungen wie rituelles Bad, Almosengabe und dergleichen zu vollziehen.

Word by Word

• परोपकरणम्: helping others; service to others
• परोपकरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर-उपकरण (प्रातिपदिक; पर + उपकार/उपकरण-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परस्य उपकारः/उपकरणम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done; should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृतान्त (gerundive/obligatory); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• सुधिया: by a wise person; with good understanding
• सुधिया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु + धी = उत्तमा बुद्धिः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• पर्वसु: on festival/holy days
• पर्वसु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (instrumental used adverbially)

• स्नानदानादिकाः: such as bathing and giving (charity), etc.
• स्नानदानादिकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नान + दान + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (स्नानं च दानं च) + आदिशब्देन समाहारः; 'क्रियाः' इति विशेषणम्

• क्रियाः: acts; rites
• क्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Ānandakānana)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī offers water and food to travelers and the poor; at dawn on a parva day he bathes at a ghat, then gives dāna and proceeds to worship.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Parva (festival days)
• Snāna
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī-dharma is lived through compassion and service, strengthened by festival-day observances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī generally, as the arena for sustained service and intensified parva-day practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular paropakāra (helping others) and, on parva days especially, snāna and dāna and related rites.