Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

दत्त्वा दानानि भूरीणि मखानिष्ट्वा तु भूरिशः । चिरं तप्त्वाप्यरण्येषु स्वर्गैश्वर्यान्महीं पुनः

Transliteration

dattvā dānāni bhūrīṇi makhāniṣṭvā tu bhūriśaḥ | ciraṃ taptvāpyaraṇyeṣu svargaiśvaryānmahīṃ punaḥ

Translation

ಅಪಾರ ದಾನಗಳನ್ನು ನೀಡಿ, ಅನೇಕ ಯಜ್ಞಗಳನ್ನು ನೆರವೇರಿಸಿ, ಅರಣ್ಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ದೀರ್ಘ ತಪಸ್ಸು ಮಾಡಿದರೂ, ಸ್ವರ್ಗದ ಐಶ್ವರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಅನುಭವಿಸಿ ಜೀವನು ಮತ್ತೆ ಭೂಮಿಗೆ ಮರಳುತ್ತಾನೆ.

Word by Word

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त्वा (क्त्वान्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund) ‘having given’

• दानानि: gifts; donations
• दानानि: Karma/Patient (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) बहुवचनम्; कर्म (object of दत्त्वा)

• भूरीणि: many; abundant
• भूरीणि: Karma/Patient (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) बहुवचनम्; दानानि इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मखान्: sacrifices
• मखान्: Karma/Patient (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) बहुवचनम्; कर्म (object of इष्ट्वा)

• इष्ट्वा: having performed (sacrifices)
• इष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु) → इष्ट्वा (क्त्वान्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund) ‘having sacrificed/performed’

• तु: indeed; and then
• तु: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; विरोध/अन्वयबोधक निपातः (particle: but/indeed)

• भूरिशः: abundantly; many times
• भूरिशः: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूरिशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: abundantly/many times)

• चिरम्: for a long time
• चिरम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम्

• तप्त्वा: having performed austerity
• तप्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु) → तप्त्वा (क्त्वान्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund) ‘having practiced austerity’

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक निपातः (particle: also/even)

• अरण्येषु: in forests
• अरण्येषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th) बहुवचनम्; अधिकरणम्

• स्वर्गैश्वर्यात्: from heavenly sovereignty
• स्वर्गैश्वर्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग + ऐश्वर्य (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी (5th) एकवचनम्; अपादानम् (ablative: from)

• महीम्: the earth
• महीम्: Karma/Patient (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचनम्; कर्म (object, ‘earth’)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: again)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue convention)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied audience within Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary sequence: a donor-sacrificer-ascetic rises to a radiant svarga with celestial pleasures, then descends back to earth, illustrating punarāvṛtti; in the background, Kāśī’s Śiva-kṣetra stands as the implied alternative.

Characters & Entities

• svarga (heaven)
• mahī (earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit-driven rites can yield heaven, but heavenly results are impermanent; lasting freedom requires a higher liberative orientation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

In this verse the site is not named, but it continues the Maṇikarṇikā-māhātmya context of Kāśī Khaṇḍa, contrasting temporary svarga with superior tīrtha-based liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charity), makha/yajña (sacrifice), and tapas (austerity) are cited, along with their fruit of svarga followed by return.