Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

क्रतूनामश्वमेधोसि दानानामभयं भवान् । लाभानां पुत्रलाभोसि वसंतस्त्वमृतुष्वहो

Transliteration

kratūnāmaśvamedhosi dānānāmabhayaṃ bhavān | lābhānāṃ putralābhosi vasaṃtastvamṛtuṣvaho

Translation

Parmi les sacrifices, tu es l’Aśvamedha ; parmi les dons, tu es le don de l’intrépidité. Parmi les gains, tu es l’obtention d’un fils ; et parmi les saisons—ah !—tu es le printemps.

Word by Word

• क्रतूनाम्: of sacrifices
• क्रतूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अश्वमेधः: Aśvamedha sacrifice
• अश्वमेधः: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व + मेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• दानानाम्: of gifts/charities
• दानानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अभयम्: fearlessness, safety
• अभयम्: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• भवान्: you (hon.)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular), आदरार्थे (honorific)

• लाभानाम्: of gains
• लाभानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पुत्रलाभः: gain of a son
• पुत्रलाभः: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र + लाभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• वसन्तः: spring (season)
• वसन्तः: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• ऋतुषु: among the seasons
• ऋतुषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अहो: ah!, indeed
• अहो: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयादिबोधक (exclamatory particle)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (with Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa resonance)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: a royal Aśvamedha scene fades into the presence of Kāśīnātha, showing that the Lord is the essence; a devotee offers abhaya to a frightened being; spring blossoms (vasanta) fill the ghāṭa steps.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvamedha
• Abhaya-dāna
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All highest merits—sacrifice, charity, blessing, and auspiciousness—are rooted in the Lord as their essence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, where the Lord’s presence is praised as the source of supreme punya and auspicious boons.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aśvamedha is mentioned as the supreme kratu; and ‘abhaya’ is highlighted as the highest form of dāna.