Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

धान्यत्यागे च तद्धान्यमथवा शालयः स्मृताः । धेनूर्दद्यात्प्रयत्नेन सालंकाराः सकांचनाः

Transliteration

dhānyatyāge ca taddhānyamathavā śālayaḥ smṛtāḥ | dhenūrdadyātprayatnena sālaṃkārāḥ sakāṃcanāḥ

Translation

ധാന്യം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചാൽ അതേ ധാന്യം ദാനമായി നൽകണം; അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ശാസ്ത്രപ്രകാരം ശാലി (അരി) ദാനം ചെയ്യണം. കൂടാതെ പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ അലങ്കരിച്ച, സ്വർണ്ണസഹിതമായ പശുവും ദാനമായി നൽകണം.

Word by Word

• धान्यत्यागे: in giving up grains
• धान्यत्यागे: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान्य-त्याग (प्रातिपदिक; धान्य + त्याग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘धान्यस्य त्यागः’

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम्

• तद्धान्यम्: that (same) grain
• तद्धान्यम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्-धान्य (प्रातिपदिक; तद् + धान्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘तत् धान्यम्’ (that grain)

• अथवा: or
• अथवा: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्ययम् (disjunctive: or)

• शालयः: halls/shelters (śālās)
• शालयः: कर्ता (of ‘स्मृताः’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• स्मृताः: are stated/considered
• स्मृताः: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘(इति) स्मृताः’ = are said/remembered

• धेनुः: a cow
• धेनुः: कर्म (to be given)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• सालंकाराः: ornamented
• सालंकाराः: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-अलंकार (प्रातिपदिक; स + अलंकार)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (of धेनवः/धेनुः implied) ‘with ornaments’

• सकांचनाः: with gold (adornments)
• सकांचनाः: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक; स + काञ्चन)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् ‘with gold’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor offers sacks of rice and then leads an adorned cow with garlands and a small gold gift to a priest/charity steward near a Kāśī rest-house; pilgrims receive cooked rice nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Dhānya
• Śāli (rice)
• Dhenū (cow)
• Kāñcana (gold)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity should culminate in generosity; the highest restraint is completed by sustaining others through substantial gifts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the instruction belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s broader dharma teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

If giving up grains, donate grains (especially rice); also give a cow, ideally ornamented and with gold according to capacity.