Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

परोपकरणं चात्र कर्तव्यं सुधिया सदा । पर्वस्वपि विशेषेण स्नानदानादिकाः क्रियाः

Transliteration

paropakaraṇaṃ cātra kartavyaṃ sudhiyā sadā | parvasvapi viśeṣeṇa snānadānādikāḥ kriyāḥ

Translation

Ici, l’homme de bon discernement doit toujours rendre service aux autres. Et, surtout aux jours de fête ou d’observance sacrée, il convient d’accomplir des actes tels que le bain rituel, l’aumône et autres pratiques.

Word by Word

• परोपकरणम्: helping others; service to others
• परोपकरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर-उपकरण (प्रातिपदिक; पर + उपकार/उपकरण-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परस्य उपकारः/उपकरणम्)

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

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done; should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृतान्त (gerundive/obligatory); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• सुधिया: by a wise person; with good understanding
• सुधिया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु + धी = उत्तमा बुद्धिः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• पर्वसु: on festival/holy days
• पर्वसु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (instrumental used adverbially)

• स्नानदानादिकाः: such as bathing and giving (charity), etc.
• स्नानदानादिकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नान + दान + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (स्नानं च दानं च) + आदिशब्देन समाहारः; 'क्रियाः' इति विशेषणम्

• क्रियाः: acts; rites
• क्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Ānandakānana)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī offers water and food to travelers and the poor; at dawn on a parva day he bathes at a ghat, then gives dāna and proceeds to worship.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Parva (festival days)
• Snāna
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī-dharma is lived through compassion and service, strengthened by festival-day observances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī generally, as the arena for sustained service and intensified parva-day practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular paropakāra (helping others) and, on parva days especially, snāna and dāna and related rites.