Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 150

Devanagari script

यथाशक्ति स्वर्णरूप्य ताम्रपृष्ठविनिर्मितान् । अभ्यर्च्य गंधकुसुमैर्गंगायां प्रक्षिपेद्व्रती

Transliteration

yathāśakti svarṇarūpya tāmrapṛṣṭhavinirmitān | abhyarcya gaṃdhakusumairgaṃgāyāṃ prakṣipedvratī

Translation

Selon ses moyens, l’observant du vœu fera façonner des offrandes d’or, d’argent ou de cuivre ; les honorera de parfums et de fleurs, puis les jettera dans la Gaṅgā.

Word by Word

• यथा-शक्ति: according to one’s ability
• यथा-शक्ति: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā-śakti (अव्यय; यथा + शक्ति)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial)

• स्वर्ण: gold
• स्वर्ण: Sambandha (Qualifier element/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग

• रूप्य: silver
• रूप्य: Sambandha (Qualifier element/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग

• ताम्र-पृष्ठ-विनिर्मितान्: made with a copper backing
• ताम्र-पृष्ठ-विनिर्मितान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāmra-pṛṣṭha-vinirmitā (प्रातिपदिक; ताम्र + पृष्ठ + विनिर्मित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (अर्थात् प्रतिमादीन्/वस्तून्); विनिर्मित = कृदन्त (क्त) from √mā/√nirmā (निर्मा) with vi-ni-; समासः: ताम्रं पृष्ठं यस्य (बहुव्रीहि-भावार्थ) + विनिर्मित (तत्पुरुष-सम्बन्ध)

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (gerund/absolutive), उपसर्ग: अभि; पूर्वक्रिया

• गन्ध-कुसुमैः: with perfumes and flowers
• गन्ध-कुसुमैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha-kusuma (प्रातिपदिक; गन्ध + कुसुम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः: गन्धश्च कुसुमं च (द्वन्द्व); करण

• गंगायाम्: in the Ganga
• गंगायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• प्रक्षिपेत्: should cast/throw
• प्रक्षिपेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣip (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्ग: प्र

• व्रती: the vow-observer
• व्रती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vratin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī-ghāṭs)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a Kāśī ghāṭ, a vrati worships small metal offerings with flowers and sandal, then gently releases them into the flowing Gaṅgā as lamps flicker at dusk.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Vrata
• Gold
• Silver
• Copper

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through consecrated offerings, surrendered into Gaṅgā, is framed as a powerful act of tīrtha-dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā in Kāśī—the rite culminates specifically in immersion into the Gaṅgā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prepare metal offerings according to capacity, worship with scent and flowers, then immerse/cast them into the Gaṅgā.