Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 100

Devanagari script

इह चत्वारि दानानि प्रोक्तानि परमर्षिभिः । विचार्य नानाशास्त्राणि शर्मणेत्र परत्र च

Transliteration

iha catvāri dānāni proktāni paramarṣibhiḥ | vicārya nānāśāstrāṇi śarmaṇetra paratra ca

Translation

Hier haben die erhabenen Rishis, nachdem sie viele Shastras erwogen hatten, vier Arten von Gaben verkündet, die Wohlergehen in dieser Welt und in der jenseitigen schenken.

Word by Word

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: here)

• catvāri: four
• catvāri: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catvāri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण (dānāni-विशेषण)

• dānāni: gifts
• dānāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• proktāni: declared
• proktāni: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (said/declared)

• paramarṣibhiḥ: by the great sages
• paramarṣibhiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (परमाः ऋषयः)

• vicārya: having considered
• vicārya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + car (चर् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘having considered’

• nānāśāstrāṇi: various scriptures
• nānāśāstrāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nānā + śāstra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (नानाविधानि शास्त्राणि)

• śarmaṇi: in welfare/comfort
• śarmaṇi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: here)

• paratra: hereafter
• paratra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paratra (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in the other world/thereafter)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśī-khaṇḍa often Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of ṛṣis in Kāśī, palm-leaf manuscripts open, debating and then presenting a fourfold list of gifts to attentive pilgrims; the Ganga and temples form the backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Paramarṣi
• Śāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity is systematized by scriptural reflection; properly understood dāna benefits both worldly life and the afterlife.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Kāśī-khaṇḍa (glory of Kāśī), but this verse is an instructional preface rather than a direct tirtha-stuti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It introduces a structured teaching: ‘four dānas’ (details not contained in this single verse).