Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 120

Devanagari script

य इदं श्रावयेद्विद्वान्समस्तं त्वर्धमेव वा । पादमात्रं तदर्धं वा त्वेकं व्याख्यानमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

ya idaṃ śrāvayedvidvānsamastaṃ tvardhameva vā | pādamātraṃ tadardhaṃ vā tvekaṃ vyākhyānamuttamam

Translation

Le savant qui fait entendre ceci—en entier, ou seulement la moitié; ou bien un quart, ou la moitié de cela; ou même une seule excellente explication—(obtient assurément le mérite énoncé).

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who (he who)
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• idam: this (text)
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• śrāvayet: should cause to be recited / should recite aloud (through another)
• śrāvayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + ṇic (प्रेरण/causative)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिजन्त-धातु (causative)

• vidvān: a learned man
• vidvān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidvas (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vid)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle) अर्थे ‘ज्ञानी’

• samastam: entire, complete
• samastam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• tu: but / indeed
• tu: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• ardham: half
• ardham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• eva: only / just
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha/Alternative
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• pāda-mātram: only a quarter (one pāda)
• pāda-mātram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मात्रा-निर्देश: ‘पादस्य मात्रम्’)

• tad-ardham: half of that
• tad-ardham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (‘तस्य अर्धम्’)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha/Alternative
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• tu: but / indeed
• tu: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• ekam: one
• ekam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• vyākhyānam: explanation, exposition
• vyākhyānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vy-ā-khyāna (प्रातिपदिक; √khyā)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• uttamam: excellent, best
• uttamam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (superlative sense)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned paṇḍita recites the Kāśī-māhātmya to attentive listeners; palm-leaf manuscript on a low wooden stand; lamps and incense; Ganga-ghāṭa ambience implied.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even partial recitation, listening, or a single sincere explanation of sacred teaching is spiritually potent; devotion and transmission matter, not only quantity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa framework, where Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is the implied sacred setting and source of merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa/śrāvaṇa—causing the text to be heard (recitation for others) and vyākhyāna—giving an excellent exposition.