Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

यज्ञोपस्कर वस्तूनि यज्ञार्थं द्रविणं तु वा । यथाशक्ति प्रदद्याद्यो ह्यर्चिष्मत्यांवसेत्स वै

Transliteration

yajñopaskara vastūni yajñārthaṃ draviṇaṃ tu vā | yathāśakti pradadyādyo hyarciṣmatyāṃvasetsa vai

Translation

യജ്ഞത്തിനാവശ്യമായ ഉപകരണങ്ങളെയോ യജ്ഞാർത്ഥ ധനത്തെയോ തന്റെ ശേഷിയനുസരിച്ച് ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ, അർച്ചിഷ്മതീ എന്ന ദീപ്തിമയ ലോകത്തിൽ നിശ്ചയമായി വസിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यज्ञोपस्कर: sacrificial implements
• यज्ञोपस्कर: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + उपस्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative plural; as qualifier to वस्तूनि)

• वस्तूनि: articles, things
• वस्तूनि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter, accusative plural)

• यज्ञार्थम्: for the sake of sacrifice
• यज्ञार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (accusative of purpose)

• द्रविणम्: wealth
• द्रविणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रविण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

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

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• यथा-शक्ति: according to one’s capacity
• यथा-शक्ति: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial: according to ability)

• प्रदद्याद्: should give
• प्रदद्याद्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should give)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/causal)

• अर्चिष्मत्याम्: in Arciṣmatī (the radiant place)
• अर्चिष्मत्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चिष्मती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (feminine, locative singular; place-name/epithet)

• वसेत्: should reside
• वसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should dwell)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (demonstrative pronoun)

• वै: certainly
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor respectfully offers yajña implements—ladles, ghee, samidh, vessels—to a Vedic priest beside a glowing altar; above, a radiant celestial realm labeled Arciṣmatī shines like a golden city of light.

Characters & Entities

• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supporting sacred rites through resources and generosity is a powerful form of dharma that leads to luminous spiritual destinations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to Kāśī’s Mahātmya context, emphasizing dharma practiced in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donation of yajña implements or wealth intended for yajña, given according to one’s means.