Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तीर्थवासार्थिनः सर्वान्संतर्प्य च पृथक्पृथक् । रत्नैर्हिरण्यवासोभिरश्वाभरणधेनुभिः

Transliteration

tīrthavāsārthinaḥ sarvānsaṃtarpya ca pṛthakpṛthak | ratnairhiraṇyavāsobhiraśvābharaṇadhenubhiḥ

Translation

തീർത്ഥവാസം ആഗ്രഹിച്ച് വന്ന എല്ലാവരെയും ഓരോരുത്തരായി തൃപ്തിപ്പെടുത്തി, രത്നങ്ങൾ, സ്വർണം, വസ്ത്രങ്ങൾ, കുതിരകൾ, ആഭരണങ്ങൾ, പശുക്കൾ എന്നിവ ദാനമായി നൽകി।

Word by Word

• तीर्थवासार्थिनः: those desiring residence/pilgrimage at the tīrtha
• तीर्थवासार्थिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + वास + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Nominative plural masculine); तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थवासस्य अर्थिनः = desiring pilgrimage-residence)

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Accusative plural masculine)

• संतर्प्य: having satisfied
• संतर्प्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√तृप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having satisfied)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• पृथक्-पृथक्: separately, one by one
• पृथक्-पृथक्: Kriya (Distribution/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्त-क्रियाविशेषण (distributive adverb)

• रत्नैः: with jewels
• रत्नैः: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Instrumental plural neuter)

• हिरण्यवासोभिः: with gold and garments
• हिरण्यवासोभिः: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य + वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Instrumental plural neuter); द्वन्द्वसमाहारः (with gold and garments)

• अश्वाभरणधेनुभिः: with horses, ornaments, and cows
• अश्वाभरणधेनुभिः: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व + आभरण + धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (धेनु-प्रधान/समाहार); तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Instrumental plural); द्वन्द्वसमाहारः (with horses, ornaments, and cows)

Speaker

Parāśara (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (with Maṇikarṇikā as immediate context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta and the assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After rites, devas and sages distribute gifts to tīrtha-dwellers: jewels, gold, garments, horses, ornaments, and cows; recipients include ascetics, students, and pilgrims in orderly lines.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha-vāsins (pilgrims/residents)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The greatness of a tīrtha is lived through generosity—honoring pilgrims and seekers with food and gifts as an act of dharma that yields puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s tīrtha-culture broadly; the surrounding passage is set in Vārāṇasī with Maṇikarṇikā as the starting point.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃtarpana (feeding/satisfying) of tīrtha-visitors and dāna of valuables such as gold, garments, cows, and horses.