Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

गंधर्वेश्वरमभ्यर्च्य दत्त्वा दानानि शक्तितः । सन्तर्प्य पितॄदेवांश्च गंधर्वैः सह मोदते

Transliteration

gaṃdharveśvaramabhyarcya dattvā dānāni śaktitaḥ | santarpya pitṝdevāṃśca gaṃdharvaiḥ saha modate

Translation

Having duly worshipped Gandharveśvara, giving gifts according to one’s capacity, and satisfying the ancestors and the gods, one rejoices in the company of the Gandharvas.

Word by Word

• गन्धर्वेश्वरम्: Gandharveśvara (deity)
• गन्धर्वेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्वेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + √अर्च् (धातु) + य (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• दानानि: gifts/charities
• दानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• शक्तितः: according to one’s capacity
• शक्तितः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb); अर्थः—यथाशक्ति (according to ability)

• सन्तर्प्य: having satisfied (fed/propitiated)
• सन्तर्प्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √तृप् (धातु) + य (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• गन्धर्वैः: with the Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वैः: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपसर्गसदृश (prepositional adverb: with)

• मोदते: rejoices
• मोदते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandharveśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers flowers and bilva to a liṅga, then gives alms to a brāhmaṇa, and performs tarpana at a small water body; ethereal Gandharvas appear as musicians, signifying the promised rejoicing.

Characters & Entities

• Gandharveśvara
• Pitṛs
• Devas
• Gandharvas
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is fulfilled by a triad of dharma: worship (arcana), generosity (dāna), and gratitude to lineage and cosmos (pitṛ- and deva-tarpaṇa).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gandharveśvara in Kāśī, together with its associated tīrtha context from the preceding verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship of the liṅga, dāna according to capacity, and tarpaṇa/offerings to Pitṛs and Devas.