Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

फाणितं गोरसं तोयं लवणं मधुकांजिकम् । हस्तेन ब्राह्मणो दत्त्वा कृच्छ्रं चांद्रायणं चरेत्

Transliteration

phāṇitaṃ gorasaṃ toyaṃ lavaṇaṃ madhukāṃjikam | hastena brāhmaṇo dattvā kṛcchraṃ cāṃdrāyaṇaṃ caret

Translation

ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ സ്വന്തം കൈകൊണ്ട് ഫാണിതം, ഗോറസം, വെള്ളം, ഉപ്പ് അല്ലെങ്കിൽ മധുര-കാഞ്ചികം നൽകിയാൽ, കൃച്ഛ്ര പ്രായശ്ചിത്തവും ചാന്ദ്രായണ വ്രതവും ആചരിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• फाणितम्: molasses/jaggery syrup
• फाणितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाणित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गोरसम्: cow’s milk (lit. cow-juice)
• गोरसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गवां रसः)

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लवणम्: salt
• लवणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मधुकांजिकम्: sweet sour-gruel (honeyed kāñjika)
• मधुकांजिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु + काञ्जिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (मधु-युक्तं काञ्जिकम्)

• हस्तेन: with the hand
• हस्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘दा’ धातोः

• कृच्छ्रम्: the Kṛcchra penance
• कृच्छ्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (व्रतविशेषः)

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

• आन्द्रायणम्: the Cāndrāyaṇa penance
• आन्द्रायणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आन्द्रायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (व्रतविशेषः)

• चरेत्: should perform/practise
• चरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dharma-seeking audience in Kāśī instruction frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Brāhmaṇa, remorseful after an improper act of giving, sits near a small shrine on a Kāśī lane, counting lunar days and observing regulated meals (cāndrāyaṇa), with a water pot and simple fare beside him.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even small acts (like giving common food items) are governed by dharma; if done wrongly, disciplined vows restore purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī provides the dharmic frame: the holy city is portrayed as a place where penance and purity are carefully upheld.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of Kṛcchra and Cāndrāyaṇa as expiation connected to improper giving/handling of specified items.