Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

तंदुलादिपरिक्षेपैः प्रापिताः क्षेत्रमुत्तमम् । ते तु क्षेत्रं समासाद्य चत्वारश्चरणायुधाः

Transliteration

taṃdulādiparikṣepaiḥ prāpitāḥ kṣetramuttamam | te tu kṣetraṃ samāsādya catvāraścaraṇāyudhāḥ

Translation

Durch das Ausstreuen von Reiskörnern und dergleichen wurden sie zum höchsten kṣetra geleitet. Als sie das heilige Gebiet erreichten, gelangten auch jene vier „mit Füßen Bewaffneten“ (die Hähne) dorthin.

Word by Word

• तण्डुल-आदि-परिक्षेपैः: by scatterings of rice and the like
• तण्डुल-आदि-परिक्षेपैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तण्डुल (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + परिक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तण्डुलादीनां परिक्षेपाः = scatterings of rice etc.)

• प्रापिताः: were led/brought (to reach)
• प्रापिताः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्रापित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (णिच्-प्रयोगे क्त/PPP; causative sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि/कर्तरि-भावः—'were made to reach'

• क्षेत्रम्: field, sacred place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'क्षेत्रम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समासाद्य: having reached/approached
• समासाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु) → समासाद्य (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वा/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• चत्वारः: four
• चत्वारः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• चरण-आयुधाः: birds (lit. foot-weaponed ones)
• चरण-आयुधाः: Karta (Subject/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (येषां चरणाः आयुधानि)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (toward Muktimaṇḍapa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic scatters rice grains on the road; the four roosters follow the trail like a sacred breadcrumb path; the gateway/precinct of the holy kṣetra appears ahead, luminous and inviting.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī-kṣetra
• taṃdula (rice grains)
• kukkuṭa (roosters)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Small acts—like offering or scattering grains—can become instruments that lead beings toward the sacred kṣetra and its liberating power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘uttama kṣetra’ is Kāśī, with the episode centering on the Muktimaṇḍapa/Kukkuṭamaṇḍapa area.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied act of offering/feeding via grains (taṃdula-ādi), resonant with dāna and compassion toward creatures.