Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

मठैर्विद्यार्थिनामन्नैरतिथ्यर्थं महाधनैः । महापुस्तकसंभारैर्लेखकानां च जीवनैः

Transliteration

maṭhairvidyārthināmannairatithyarthaṃ mahādhanaiḥ | mahāpustakasaṃbhārairlekhakānāṃ ca jīvanaiḥ

Translation

By establishing monasteries (maṭhas), by feeding students, by offering great wealth for the reception of guests, by supplying abundant collections of books, and by providing livelihood for scribes—one upholds learning and dharma in sacred Kāśī.

Word by Word

• मठैः: with monasteries/monastic lodgings
• मठैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• विद्यार्थिनाम्: of students
• विद्यार्थिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्यार्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive (6th), Plural

• अन्नैः: with food
• अन्नैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अतिथ्य-अर्थम्: for hospitality
• अतिथ्य-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतिथ्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणत्वम् — used adverbially ‘for the purpose of hospitality’

• महाधनैः: with great wealth
• महाधनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural; ‘great wealth’

• महापुस्तक-संभारैः: with collections of many great books
• महापुस्तक-संभारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (पूर्वपद) + पुस्तक (प्रातिपदिक) + संभार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; ‘collections/stock of great books’

• लेखकानाम्: of scribes/writers
• लेखकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लेखक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात — conjunction ‘and’

• जीवनैः: with livelihoods/support (stipends)
• जीवनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural; ‘means of livelihood/support’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī maṭha with students seated in rows, palm-leaf manuscripts and ink-pots; a donor funds a guest reception with vessels of food; scribes copy texts under lamplight; stacks of large books offered to the institution.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• maṭha
• vidyārthin (student)
• lekhaka (scribe)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma in Kāśī is advanced by sustaining learning, hospitality, and the transmission of scripture through institutions, books, and scribes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), presented as a seat of dharma where supporting religious education yields merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna in the form of food for students, wealth for guest-reception, endowments for maṭhas, and support for manuscript culture (books and scribes).