Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

दीनानाथांश्च संतर्प्य नत्वा विश्वेश्वरं विभुम् । ब्रह्मचर्यादिनियमैस्तीर्थमेवं प्रसाध्य च

Transliteration

dīnānāthāṃśca saṃtarpya natvā viśveśvaraṃ vibhum | brahmacaryādiniyamaistīrthamevaṃ prasādhya ca

Translation

Après avoir rassasié et secouru les pauvres et les sans-appui, et s’être prosternés devant le puissant Seigneur Viśveśvara, ils accomplirent comme il se doit l’observance du tīrtha par des disciplines telles que le brahmacarya et d’autres retenues.

Word by Word

• dīna-anāthān: the poor and the helpless
• dīna-anāthān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक) + anātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व (दीनाश्च अनाथाश्च)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• saṃtarpya: having satisfied (fed)
• saṃtarpya: Adverbial (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tṛp (धातु) + सम्, ल्यप् (संतर्प्य)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; causative sense ‘to satisfy/feed’

• natvā: having bowed
• natvā: Adverbial (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nam (धातु), क्त्वा-प्रत्यय
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• viśveśvaram: Viśveśvara (Lord of the universe)
• viśveśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य ईश्वरः)

• vibhum: the all-pervading (Lord)
• vibhum: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (व्यापक/समर्थ)

• brahmacarya-ādi-niyamaiḥ: by disciplines such as celibacy
• brahmacarya-ādi-niyamaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacarya (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मचर्यादयः नियमाः)

• tīrtham: the tīrtha (holy place/rite)
• tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• evam: thus
• evam: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (thus/in this manner)

• prasādhya: having duly completed/fulfilled
• prasādhya: Adverbial (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sādh (धातु) + प्र, ल्यप् (प्रसाध्य)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; ‘having duly accomplished/arranged’

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara in Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims distribute food and water to the poor and helpless near Kāśī’s temple lanes, then bow before Viśveśvara; their demeanor is restrained, celibate, and vow-bound.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-merit arises from compassion (feeding the needy) joined with self-restraint and reverent surrender to Viśveśvara.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśveśvara in Kāśī—center of Kāśī’s sādhana and tīrtha-dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Satisfying the poor (anna/dāna implied), bowing to Viśveśvara, and observing restraints such as brahmacarya as part of tīrtha-prasādhana.