Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

दत्त्वा नैवेद्यमात्रं तु सिक्थेसिक्थे युगंयुगम् । कैलासाद्रौ वसेद्धीमान्महाभोगसमन्वितः

Transliteration

dattvā naivedyamātraṃ tu sikthesikthe yugaṃyugam | kailāsādrau vaseddhīmānmahābhogasamanvitaḥ

Translation

By offering even a simple naivedya (food offering), in every age again and again, the wise one comes to dwell on Mount Kailāsa, endowed with great enjoyments and prosperity.

Word by Word

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभावरूप कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• नैवेद्य-मात्रम्: only a simple offering (naivedya)
• नैवेद्य-मात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (मात्रं नैवेद्यम्)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• सिक्थे: in wax
• सिक्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिक्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्थानाधिकरण (locative)

• सिक्थे: in wax
• सिक्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिक्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition)

• युगम्: for an age
• युगम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (accusative of extent)

• युगम्: (again) for an age
• युगम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति

• कैलास-अद्रौ: on Mount Kailāsa
• कैलास-अद्रौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक) + अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (कैलासः अद्रिः)

• वसेत्: would dwell
• वसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• धीमान्: the wise person
• धीमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गुणवाचक (one possessing intelligence)

• महा-भोग-समन्वितः: endowed with great enjoyments
• महा-भोग-समन्वितः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भोग (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (महाभोगैः समन्वितः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara in Kāśī (phala: Kailāsa-vāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble devotee places a small naivedya bowl before Viśveśvara; the scene dissolves into a vision of snow-clad Kailāsa where the devotee dwells in Śiva’s retinue amid celestial abundance.

Characters & Entities

• Kailāsa
• Viśveśvara
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In sacred Kāśī, even modest offerings given with faith become immense merit, leading to closeness with Śiva symbolized by dwelling on Kailāsa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Viśveśvara worship is implied; the fruit is described as residence on Kailāsa, Śiva’s abode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering naivedya (food offering) as part of worship—emphasizing that even a small offering is powerful when made devotionally.