Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

ग्रीष्मोष्प्रहंति मायूरपिच्छादि रचितान्यपि । चित्राणि तालवृंतानि वितरंति तपागमे

Transliteration

grīṣmoṣprahaṃti māyūrapicchādi racitānyapi | citrāṇi tālavṛṃtāni vitaraṃti tapāgame

Translation

ചൂടുകാലം വന്നാൽ ഗ്രീഷ്മദാഹം അകറ്റാൻ അവർ വർണ്ണാഭമായ താളപ്പത്ര വിസറികൾ വിതരണം ചെയ്യും; ചിലത് മയൂരപ്പീലി മുതലായവകൊണ്ടും നിർമ്മിച്ചതായിരിക്കും.

Word by Word

• ग्रीष्मोष्प: summer heat
• ग्रीष्मोष्प: Upapada (Qualifier component)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रीष्म-उष्प (प्रातिपदिक; ग्रीष्म + उष्प/उष्मन्)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (ग्रीष्मोष्प- इत्यत्र); तत्पुरुषः (ग्रीष्मस्य उष्पः/उष्मा)

• अहन्ति: remove, destroy
• अहन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• मायूरपिच्छादि: with peacock-feathers and the like
• मायूरपिच्छादि: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मायूर-पिच्छ-आदि (प्रातिपदिक; मायूर + पिच्छ + आदि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) एकवचन-वत् समासाङ्ग (अद्भिः/आदिभिः इत्यर्थे); ‘आदि’ अव्यय-प्रायः समासान्त

• रचितानि: made, fashioned
• रचितानि: Visheshana (Qualifier of ‘तालवृन्तानि’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रच् (धातु) → रचित (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘made/constructed’

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

• चित्राणि: variegated, colorful
• चित्राणि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• तालवृन्तानि: palm-leaf fans (palm-stalk fans)
• तालवृन्तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताल-वृन्त (प्रातिपदिक; ताल + वृन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तालस्य वृन्तानि)

• वितरन्ति: distribute
• वितरन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• तपागमे: at the coming of heat (hot season)
• तपागमे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तप-आगम (प्रातिपदिक; तप + आगम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तपस्य आगमे = उष्णकाले आगते)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (ghāṭa/temple approaches)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Summer in Kāśī: pilgrims fanning themselves on ghāṭa steps; donors handing out bright palm-leaf fans, some adorned with peacock feathers, creating a festive yet compassionate scene.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Season-appropriate giving—relieving others’ discomfort—is upheld as refined dharma and a source of puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s pilgrimage environment, where supporting pilgrims in harsh seasons is spiritually meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donating fans (tālavṛnta) and cooling aids during the hot season.