Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

अश्वाः परः शताः संतु संत्वनेकेप्यनेकषाः । अधिरोहे तथाप्येको न द्वितीयस्तथात्मनः

Transliteration

aśvāḥ paraḥ śatāḥ saṃtu saṃtvanekepyanekaṣāḥ | adhirohe tathāpyeko na dvitīyastathātmanaḥ

Translation

Mögen es auch mehr als hundert Pferde geben, viele und auf vielerlei Weise; doch zum Besteigen und Reiten wird nur eines gebraucht, nicht zugleich ein zweites.

Word by Word

• अश्वाः: horses
• अश्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• परः: many
• परः: Karta-qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘many/other’ (शताः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• शताः: hundreds
• शताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• सन्तु: let there be
• सन्तु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• सन्तु: let there be
• सन्तु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगः)

• अनेकाः: many
• अनेकाः: Karta-qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (अश्वाः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; ‘even/also’

• अनेकशः: in many ways
• अनेकशः: Manner (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय; ‘in many ways/many times’

• अधिरोहे: in mounting (to ride)
• अधिरोहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिरोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (mounting/ride)

• तथा: so
• तथा: Manner (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘so’

• अपि: even
• अपि: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; ‘even’

• एकः: one (rider)
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘one (person)’

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• द्वितीयः: a second
• द्वितीयः: Predicate-noun (प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘a second (one)’

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Manner (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘thus’

• आत्मनः: for oneself/of oneself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wealthy man stands before a stable of many horses, yet mounts only one; beside him a pilgrim with a staff walks toward a Kāśī shrine, implying the superiority of simplicity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Excess possessions do not increase real use; recognizing sufficiency fosters detachment and ethical living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse belongs to Kāśī Khaṇḍa (Vārāṇasī), but the verse itself is a general teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an illustrative analogy for limiting greed.