Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

द्विजाय नोर्वरा दत्ता यमलोकनिवारिणी । सुवर्णं न सुवर्णाय दत्तं दुरितहृत्परम्

Transliteration

dvijāya norvarā dattā yamalokanivāriṇī | suvarṇaṃ na suvarṇāya dattaṃ duritahṛtparam

Translation

To a twice-born (dvija, brāhmaṇa) I have not given fertile land that wards off the realm of Yama; nor have I given gold to the worthy recipient—gold that supremely removes wrongdoing.

Word by Word

• द्विजाय: to a Brahmin
• द्विजाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान) विभक्ति, एकवचन (Dative singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• उर्वरा: fertile land
• उर्वरा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उर्वरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• दत्ता: given
• दत्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त (कृदन्त; √दा (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• यमलोकनिवारिणी: that wards off Yama’s world
• यमलोकनिवारिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यम-लोक-निवारिणी (प्रातिपदिक; यम + लोक + निवारिणी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying उर्वरा/दत्ता)

• सुवर्णम्: gold
• सुवर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nom./Acc. singular; here object)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• सुवर्णाय: to a worthy/golden (person) named Suvarṇa / to Suvarṇa
• सुवर्णाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Dative singular)

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त (कृदन्त; √दा (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• दुरितहृत्परम्: supremely removing sin
• दुरितहृत्परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरित-हृत्-पर (प्रातिपदिक; दुरित + हृत् + पर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying दत्तम्/सुवर्णम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa default dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor imagines Yama’s city in the distance; in the foreground, a brāhmaṇa recipient stands by a boundary-marked fertile field and a small heap of gold coins—yet the donor’s hands remain empty, signaling omission and regret.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (twice-born)
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Major gifts like land and gold—given to qualified recipients—are portrayed as powerful dharmic acts with consequences extending beyond death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa milieu is Kāśī, but the verse itself is a general instruction on dāna rather than a site-specific praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Urvarā-dāna (donation of fertile land) to a dvija, and suvarṇa-dāna (donation of gold) to a worthy recipient.