Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

छत्रोपानत्कुंडिकाश्च नाध्वगाय समर्पिताः । यास्यतः संयमिन्यां हि स्वर्गमार्गसुखप्रदाः

Transliteration

chatropānatkuṃḍikāśca nādhvagāya samarpitāḥ | yāsyataḥ saṃyaminyāṃ hi svargamārgasukhapradāḥ

Translation

Je n’ai pas offert au voyageur l’ombrelle, les sandales ni la cruche d’eau : dons qui, en vérité, procurent douceur sur la route du ciel à celui qui se rend à Saṃyamanī, la cité de Yama.

Word by Word

• छत्र: umbrella
• छत्र: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (as member in dvandva)

• उपानत्: footwear/sandal
• उपानत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपानत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (as member in dvandva)

• कुण्डिकाः: water-pots
• कुण्डिकाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• अध्वगाय: to a traveler
• अध्वगाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Dative singular)

• समर्पिताः: offered/presented
• समर्पिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समर्पित (कृदन्त; सम्√अर्प् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• यास्यतः: of one who is going
• यास्यतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यास्यत् (कृदन्त; √या (धातु) + शतृ/शानच्-प्रायः भविष्यत्कालिक वर्तमानकृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धे षष्ठी (Genitive singular: ‘of one who is going’)

• संयमिन्याम्: in Saṃyaminī (Yama’s city)
• संयमिन्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयमिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण) विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• स्वर्गमार्गसुखप्रदाः: giving comfort on the path to heaven
• स्वर्गमार्गसुखप्रदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग-मार्ग-सुख-प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; स्वर्ग + मार्ग + सुख + प्रद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying छत्र-उपानत्-कुण्डिकाः as gifts)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa default dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dusty road leading toward a distant fortified city labeled Saṃyamanī; a weary traveler with staff is denied an umbrella, sandals, and a water-pot by a regretful householder—while a faint luminous ‘svarga-mārga’ overlays the road, suggesting the afterlife journey.

Characters & Entities

• Adhvaga (traveler)
• Saṃyamanī
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Small, practical gifts to travelers are elevated as spiritually consequential, symbolically easing both worldly journeys and the soul’s posthumous passage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa context reflects pilgrimage culture in Kāśī; the verse highlights traveler-support (adhvagopakāra) rather than a named ghat or shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna to travelers: offering chatra (umbrella), upānat (footwear), and kuṇḍikā (water-pot).