Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

सूपकारा न संत्यत्र रसकर्म विचक्षणाः । दुग्धे सर्वरसानेका कामधेनुरतोयतः

Transliteration

sūpakārā na saṃtyatra rasakarma vicakṣaṇāḥ | dugdhe sarvarasānekā kāmadhenuratoyataḥ

Translation

Ici, point de cuisiniers experts en l’art des saveurs ; car du lait seul naissent d’innombrables goûts. Kāmadhenu, la vache qui exauce les vœux, les prodigue sans qu’il soit besoin d’eau.

Word by Word

• sūpakārāḥ: cooks
• sūpakārāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūpakāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• santi: are
• santi: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• rasakarma: culinary work / preparation of flavors
• rasakarma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rasa (प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचन (or प्रथमा as neuter); समासः तत्पुरुष (rasa-karman = culinary work/flavor-preparation)

• vicakṣaṇāḥ: skilled, discerning
• vicakṣaṇāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vicakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• dugdhe: in milk
• dugdhe: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dugdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• sarva-rasa-anekā: having many/all flavors
• sarva-rasa-anekā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + rasa (प्रातिपदिक) + aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (sarve rasāḥ yasyām sā = having all flavors, manifold in flavors)

• kāmadhenūḥ: Kāmadhenū (wish-granting cow)
• kāmadhenūḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāmadhenū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• atoyataḥ: without water / not needing water
• atoyataḥ: Apadana (Ablative sense/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: a-toya (प्रातिपदिक) + -taḥ (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास/तद्धितान्त-अव्यय; अपादानार्थे (ablatival adverb): 'without water / from absence of water'

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-seeking interlocutor (traditional frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāmadhenu stands near a Kāśī ghat, milk flowing into vessels that transform into many colored nectars and dishes; cooks’ tools rest unused; pilgrims receive prasāda; temple lamps and river backdrop suggest sacred plenty.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmadhenu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a sanctified space, abundance is effortless—divine provision replaces worldly dependence and labor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is praised through imagery of heavenly plenty (Kāmadhenu and inexhaustible nourishment).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse uses devotional geography to teach faith in the kṣetra’s grace.