Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

कोटिभोज्यफलं तस्य श्रद्धया नात्र संशयः । तपस्त्वत्र प्रकर्तव्यं दानमत्र प्रदापयेत्

Transliteration

koṭibhojyaphalaṃ tasya śraddhayā nātra saṃśayaḥ | tapastvatra prakartavyaṃ dānamatra pradāpayet

Translation

Avec foi, il obtient assurément le fruit d’avoir nourri des crores d’êtres—sans aucun doute. C’est pourquoi l’austérité doit être pratiquée ici, et l’aumône doit être donnée ici même (à Kāśī).

Word by Word

• कोटि-भोज्य-फलम्: the fruit (merit) of feeding a crore (of people)
• कोटि-भोज्य-फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + भोज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भुज् + यत्) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Desha (Locative adverbial/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: here)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (but/and)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Desha (Locative adverbial/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• प्रकर्तव्यम्: to be performed
• प्रकर्तव्यम्: Vidhi/Predicate (Injunctive predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + √कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कृत्य (gerundive: to be done)

• दानम्: charity/gift
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Desha (Locative adverbial/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• प्रदापयेत्: should give (as donation)
• प्रदापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √दा (धातु) [णिच् causative: दापय-]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (should cause to be given/should give)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī performs austerity—simple fasting and meditation—then offers food and gifts. Above, a symbolic vision shows countless satisfied guests (crores) receiving the merit-stream, illustrating the ‘koṭi-bhojya-phala’.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī magnifies sincere religious acts; faith-filled giving and discipline there yield vast, assured spiritual results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as the foremost karmabhūmi where dāna and tapas become exceptionally potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform tapas (austerity) and give dāna (charity) specifically in Kāśī.