Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

निवेद्यमोदकान्पंच वंचयंतं निजं जनम् । महोपसर्गवर्गेभ्यस्ततोंऽतः क्षेत्रमाविशत्

Transliteration

nivedyamodakānpaṃca vaṃcayaṃtaṃ nijaṃ janam | mahopasargavargebhyastatoṃ'taḥ kṣetramāviśat

Translation

Offering five modakas as naivedya, and thus warding off great clusters of calamities from his own people, he then entered the holy sacred field of Kāśī-kṣetra.

Word by Word

• निवेद्य: offered (as offering)
• निवेद्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√विद् (धातु) + यत्/ण्यत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (निवेद्य = ‘निवेदनयोग्य’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-समासपूर्वपद (अव्यक्त); अत्र समासे पूर्वपदम्

• मोदकान्: sweet dumplings (modakas)
• मोदकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (indeclinable-like numeral), द्वितीया-बहुवचनार्थे ‘मोदकान्’ विशेषयति

• वञ्चयन्तम्: deceiving
• वञ्चयन्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √वञ्च् (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘जनम्’ विशेषयति

• निजम्: one's own
• निजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘जनम्’ विशेषयति

• जनम्: people, person
• जनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• महोपसर्गवर्गेभ्यः: from the groups of great calamities/afflictions
• महोपसर्गवर्गेभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + उपसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-संकर (महान् उपसर्गः इति; उपसर्गाणां वर्गाः)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Desha-Kala (Adverbial/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• अन्तः: inside
• अन्तः: Desha (Locative sense/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: ‘within/inside’)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred area/field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आविशत्: entered
• आविशत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√विश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dehalī-Vināyaka

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee places five round modakas on a leaf-plate before the threshold Gaṇeśa, hands folded, while the gateway to Kāśī opens behind—lanes and spires hinted beyond.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī-kṣetra
• Vināyaka (implied via modaka offering)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple offerings made with faith can become spiritual protection, benefiting not only oneself but one’s community.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra itself—the sacred precinct entered after propitiatory offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Naivedya of five modakas, traditionally associated with Vināyaka worship, for averting major afflictions.