Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

दानसारा दयासारा द्यावाभूमिविगाहिनी । दृष्टादृष्टफलप्राप्तिर्देवतावृंदवंदिता

Transliteration

dānasārā dayāsārā dyāvābhūmivigāhinī | dṛṣṭādṛṣṭaphalaprāptirdevatāvṛṃdavaṃditā

Translation

അവൾ ദാനത്തിന്റെയും ദയയുടെയും സാരമാണ്; സ്വർഗ്ഗവും ഭൂമിയും മുഴുവൻ വ്യാപിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നവൾ. അവളിൽ നിന്നാണ് ദൃഷ്ടഫലവും അദൃഷ്ടപുണ്യഫലവും ലഭിക്കുന്നത്; ദേവഗണസമൂഹം അവളെ വന്ദിച്ചു സ്തുതിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• दानसारा: whose essence is giving
• दानसारा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक) + सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (दानं एव सारः यस्याः)

• दयासारा: whose essence is compassion
• दयासारा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दया (प्रातिपदिक) + सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (दया एव सारः)

• द्यावाभूमिविगाहिनी: pervading heaven and earth
• द्यावाभूमिविगाहिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्यावा (प्रातिपदिक) + भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + विगाहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/उपपद-समासः (द्यावाभूम्योः विगाहिनी = penetrating heaven and earth)

• दृष्ट: seen, manifest
• दृष्ट: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त/भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/समासाङ्ग; ‘seen/manifest’ (समासपूर्वपद)

• अदृष्ट: unseen, unmanifest
• अदृष्ट: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ- (निषेध) + दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: निषेधपूर्वक भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; ‘unseen/unmanifest’ (समासपूर्वपद)

• फल: fruit, result
• फल: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (फल- as ‘result’)

• प्राप्तिः: attainment (of results)
• प्राप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (दृष्ट-अदृष्ट-फल-प्राप्तिः = attainment of seen and unseen fruits)

• देवतावृंदवंदिता: praised by hosts of deities
• देवतावृंदवंदिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक) + वृन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + वन्दित (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त ‘वन्दित’; तत्पुरुष-समासः (देवतावृन्देन वन्दिता)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśī-khaṇḍa context, commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī (Gaṅgā-tīrtha/ghāṭa-samūha)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (Purāṇic audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Personified Gaṅgā as a radiant goddess spanning heaven and earth, attended by deva-gaṇas offering flowers; Kāśī ghāṭas and a shimmering river foreground, with pilgrims giving alms.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Devatā-gaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity and compassion are presented as divine powers that yield both immediate benefits and subtle, unseen spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions within Kāśī-māhātmya’s devotional frame, praising the Devī in the spiritual atmosphere of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on dāna (giving) and dayā (compassion) as sources of puṇya.