Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

सन्निहत्यां कुरुक्षेत्रे तमोग्रस्ते विवस्वति । यत्फलं पिंडदानेन तज्ज्ञानोदे दिने दिने

Transliteration

sannihatyāṃ kurukṣetre tamograste vivasvati | yatphalaṃ piṃḍadānena tajjñānode dine dine

Translation

À Kurukṣetra, lors de l’occasion de Sannihatyā, quand le Soleil est voilé par les ténèbres (éclipse), le mérite acquis par l’offrande des piṇḍas—ce même mérite s’obtient à Jñānoda, jour après jour.

Word by Word

• सन्निहत्याम्: at Sannihatī
• सन्निहत्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्निहति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक (a sacred place/occasion named Sannihatī)

• कुरुक्षेत्रे: in Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु-क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक; कुरु + क्षेत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः

• तमोग्रस्ते: when the sun is eclipsed/covered by darkness
• तमोग्रस्ते: Adhikarana (Time/Condition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमस्-ग्रस्त (प्रातिपदिक; तमस् + ग्रस्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः; विशेषणं ‘विवस्वति’

• विवस्वति: in/when (the) Sun (is so)
• विवस्वति: Adhikarana (Time/Condition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवस्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सूर्यवाचक

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पिण्डदानेन: by offering piṇḍas (funeral rice-balls)
• पिण्डदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड-दान (प्रातिपदिक; पिण्ड + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पिण्डस्य दानम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशक-सर्वनाम

• ज्ञानोदे: at Jñānoda (tīrtha)
• ज्ञानोदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानोद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तीर्थ-नाम

• दिने: on a day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दिने: day by day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (distributive: day by day)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñānoda-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rṣi audience / internal interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Split-scene: left, Kurukṣetra’s Sannihitī with an eclipsed sun and crowds offering piṇḍas; right, tranquil Jñānoda in Kāśī where a lone pilgrim offers piṇḍas under a normal sun—yet the right side glows brighter, signifying ‘dine dine’ equivalence.

Characters & Entities

• Kurukṣetra
• Sannihatyā/Sannihitī
• Sūrya (Vivasvat)
• Eclipse
• Piṇḍa-dāna
• Jñānoda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as granting extraordinary merit continuously, equal to rare, time-bound sacred moments elsewhere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñānoda (in Kāśī); Kurukṣetra’s Sannihitī context is used for comparison.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍa-dāna (offering piṇḍas) for ancestors; the verse contrasts it with eclipse-time rites at Kurukṣetra.