Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

अश्वत्थसेकं ये कुर्युः पथि पादपरोपकाः । विश्रामशालाकर्तारः श्रांतसंतापनोदकाः

Transliteration

aśvatthasekaṃ ye kuryuḥ pathi pādaparopakāḥ | viśrāmaśālākartāraḥ śrāṃtasaṃtāpanodakāḥ

Translation

വഴിയാത്രക്കാരുടെ നന്മയ്ക്കായി വഴിയിലെ അശ്വത്ഥ (അരയാൽ) വൃക്ഷത്തിന് ജലം ഒഴിക്കുന്നവർ, വിശ്രമശാലകൾ പണിയുന്നവർ, ക്ഷീണിച്ചും ചൂടേറ്റും ഉള്ളവരുടെ താപം അകറ്റുന്ന ജലം നൽകുന്നവർ—അവരാണ് സത്യോപകാരികൾ.

Word by Word

• अश्वत्थसेकम्: watering of the aśvattha tree
• अश्वत्थसेकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ-सेक (प्रातिपदिक; अश्वत्थ + सेक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अश्वत्थस्य सेकः)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• कुर्युः: should do
• कुर्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• पथि: on the road
• पथि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पादपरोपकाः: helpers/benefactors of trees
• पादपरोपकाः: Karta (Apposition to ‘ये’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादप-उपकार (प्रातिपदिक; पादप + उपकार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पादपानां उपकाराः/उपकारकाः)

• विश्रामशालाकर्तारः: builders of rest-sheds
• विश्रामशालाकर्तारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्राम-शाला-कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; विश्राम + शाला + कर्तृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विश्रामशालायाः कर्तारः)

• श्रान्तसन्तापन-उदकाः: providers of water that relieves the weary’s heat
• श्रान्तसन्तापन-उदकाः: Karta (Apposition/Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रान्त-सन्तापन-उदक (प्रातिपदिक; श्रान्त + सन्तापन + उदक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (श्रान्तानां सन्तापनं यद् उदकं/सन्तापनहरम् उदकम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (yātrā-mārga)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A roadside aśvattha tree being watered; a simple resting-hall nearby with weary pilgrims reclining; a benefactor offering cool water to travelers under the tree’s shade.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvattha
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is expressed through compassionate infrastructure—shade, rest, and water—offered to pilgrims and travelers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as a pilgrimage landscape, where caring for yātrikas is treated as a sacred act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Watering the aśvattha tree on the roadside, building rest-halls, and giving cooling water to the fatigued.