Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

इक्षुक्षेत्राणि संकल्प्य ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ददत्यपि । तथा नानाप्रकारांश्च विकारानैक्षवान्बहून्

Transliteration

ikṣukṣetrāṇi saṃkalpya brāhmaṇebhyo dadatyapi | tathā nānāprakārāṃśca vikārānaikṣavānbahūn

Translation

ಅವರು ಸಂಕಲ್ಪಪೂರ್ವಕವಾಗಿ ಇಕ್ಷುಕ್ಷೇತ್ರಗಳನ್ನು (ಕಬ್ಬಿನ ಹೊಲಗಳನ್ನು) ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣರಿಗೆ ದಾನಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ; ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಕಬ್ಬಿನಿಂದ ತಯಾರಾದ ನಾನಾವಿಧ ಪದಾರ್ಥಗಳನ್ನು ಬಹಳವಾಗಿ ನೀಡುತ್ತಾರೆ.

Word by Word

• इक्षुक्षेत्राणि: sugarcane fields
• इक्षुक्षेत्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इक्षु-क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक; इक्षु + क्षेत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (इक्षोः क्षेत्राणि)

• संकल्प्य: having arranged/allocated
• संकल्प्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-कल्प् (धातु) → संकल्प्य (कृदन्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘having arranged/assigned/intended’

• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: to Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन

• ददति: they give
• ददति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘also’

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘likewise/in that manner’ (adverb)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘various’

• प्रकारान्: kinds, varieties
• प्रकारान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

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

• विकारान्: preparations, processed products
• विकारान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• ऐक्षवान्: made of sugarcane
• ऐक्षवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier of ‘विकारान्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऐक्षव (प्रातिपदिक; इक्षु-सम्बन्धी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (इक्षुजन्य/इक्षुसम्बन्धिनः)

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor making a formal gift of a sugarcane field to brāhmaṇas with saṅkalpa; bundles of sugarcane and sweet preparations presented; scribes/witnesses and ritual water-pouring to seal the gift.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Substantial, well-intentioned gifts—especially those sustaining livelihood—are exalted as high dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sacred sphere, where formalized dāna (with saṅkalpa) is especially praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donating sugarcane fields with saṅkalpa, and giving various sugarcane-based preparations.