Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तवार्थं वाममार्थं वा श्रद्धया यत्समर्प्यते । काश्यां तस्य परीपाको भवेदीदृग्विधोऽनघे

Transliteration

tavārthaṃ vāmamārthaṃ vā śraddhayā yatsamarpyate | kāśyāṃ tasya parīpāko bhavedīdṛgvidho'naghe

Translation

O sinless one, whatever is offered with faith—whether for your sake or even for a contrary purpose—when it is offered in Kāśī, its fruition becomes exalted in this very manner.

Word by Word

• तव: of you/your
• तव: सम्बन्ध (Possessor/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अर्थम्: purpose, sake
• अर्थम्: सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन (Purpose/goal; object of ‘for’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वामम्: left/contrary (improper)
• वामम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjectival)

• अर्थम्: purpose, sake
• अर्थम्: सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन (Purpose/goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: समुच्चय/विकल्प (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: ‘or’)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यत्: whatever (that which)
• यत्: कर्म (Object; relative ‘what’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (relative pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• समर्प्यते: is offered/dedicated
• समर्प्यते: क्रिया (Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+अर्प् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्य: of that/of it
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Possessor/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• परीपाकः: ripening, fruition (result)
• परीपाकः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परीपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• भवेत्: would be/should become
• भवेत्: क्रिया (Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ईदृक्-विधः: of such a kind
• ईदृक्-विधः: विशेषण (Qualifier of ‘परीपाकः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश् (प्रातिपदिक) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjectival)

• अनघे: O sinless one
• अनघे: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) वा स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine) संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Śiva (Devadeva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Umā (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers flowers, lamps, and water with folded hands at a Kāśī shrine; the city’s ghāṭs and a luminous aura suggest the offering’s exalted fruition despite mixed intent.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Vārāṇasī
• Devī (Umā/Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, offerings made with śraddhā ripen into especially powerful spiritual results, highlighting the unique sanctity of the kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), the supreme Śaiva kṣetra where acts of devotion mature swiftly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Making a faith-filled offering (samarpana/dāna) in Kāśī; the verse emphasizes the heightened fruition rather than a specific item.