Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणैः सततं श्राव्यमिदमाख्यानमुत्तमम् । वेदपाठेन यत्पुण्यं तत्पुण्यफलदायकम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇaiḥ satataṃ śrāvyamidamākhyānamuttamam | vedapāṭhena yatpuṇyaṃ tatpuṇyaphaladāyakam

Translation

Ce récit sacré, excellent entre tous, doit être sans cesse récité et entendu par les brāhmaṇas. Il accorde le fruit du mérite même qui naît de la récitation des Veda.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणैः: by/through the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• सततम्: always, continually
• सततम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• श्राव्यम्: to be listened to / should be recited
• श्राव्यम्: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + ण्यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: ण्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/भाव्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be heard/should be recited’

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Pronoun

• आख्यानम्: narrative, account
• आख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent, supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Adjective of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of आख्यानम्)

• वेदपाठेन: by Vedic recitation
• वेदपाठेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + पाठ (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य पाठः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संकेतक (correlative)

• पुण्यफलदायकम्: bestowing the fruit of merit
• पुण्यफलदायकम्: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य + फल + दायक (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-समासार्थः (पुण्यस्य फलम्; तस्य दायकः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of आख्यानम्/इदम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (as narrated in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa recites the Kāśī-māhātmya to an attentive assembly; palm-leaf manuscript, oil lamp, and a distant silhouette of Viśvanātha’s śikhara suggest the kṣetra’s presence; the words are visualized as luminous Vedic syllables.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing and reciting Kāśī’s sacred narrative is itself a powerful dharmic act, equal in fruit to Vedic study.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is implied through the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, as the narration being praised is the Kāśī-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular śravaṇa/pāṭha: brāhmaṇas should continually recite and facilitate hearing of this sacred account.