Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

अनुपोष्य त्रिरात्राणि तीर्थान्यनभिगम्य च । अदत्त्वा कांचनं गाश्च दरिद्रो नाम जायते

Transliteration

anupoṣya trirātrāṇi tīrthānyanabhigamya ca | adattvā kāṃcanaṃ gāśca daridro nāma jāyate

Translation

മൂന്നു രാത്രികൾ ഉപവാസം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കാതെയും, തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിൽ പോകാതെയും, സ്വർണ്ണവും പശുവും ദാനം ചെയ്യാതെയും ഇരിക്കുന്നവൻ ‘ദരിദ്രൻ’ (പുണ്യഹീനൻ) എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अनुपोष्य: having fasted/kept (a vow)
• अनुपोष्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु-√पुष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having fasted/observed (austerity)’

• त्रिरात्राणि: three nights
• त्रिरात्राणि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (three nights)

• तीर्थानि: pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• अनभिगम्य: not having visited
• अनभिगम्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन-√गम् (धातु) + अभि- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) नकार-निषेधयुक्तः; ‘not having gone/visited’

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

• अदत्त्वा: not having given
• अदत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन-√दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) नकार-निषेधयुक्तः; ‘not having given’

• काञ्चनम्: gold
• काञ्चनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• गाः: cows
• गाः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

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

• दरिद्रः: a poor man
• दरिद्रः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• नाम: indeed; called
• नाम: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय/निपात (particle: ‘indeed/by name/as’)

• जायते: is born; becomes
• जायते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: General tīrtha-dharma (Kāśī as exemplar)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim observes a three-night vow with simple food abstention, then offers a cow and gold to a worthy recipient near a ghāṭa; a shadowy figure representing ‘puṇya-dāridrya’ fades away.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Dāna (gold, cows)
• Trirātra upavāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of austerity, pilgrimage, and charity is portrayed as real poverty—poverty of dharma and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrthas collectively; the verse stresses the obligation to approach pilgrimage places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Trirātra upavāsa (three-night fast), tīrtha-abhigamana (visiting tīrthas), and dāna of gold and cows.