Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अजाश्वमहिषी मेषी दासी कृष्णाजिनं तिलाः । सकरंभास्तोयकुंभा नासनं मृदुपादुके

Transliteration

ajāśvamahiṣī meṣī dāsī kṛṣṇājinaṃ tilāḥ | sakaraṃbhāstoyakuṃbhā nāsanaṃ mṛdupāduke

Translation

(ദാനമായി) ആട്, കുതിര, എരുമ, മേട, ദാസി, കൃഷ്ണമൃഗചർമ്മം, എള്ള്; കൂടാതെ സകരംഭം (മസാല ചേർന്ന അന്നം), ജലകുംഭങ്ങൾ, ആസനം, മൃദുപാദുകകൾ എന്നിവ നൽകണം।

Word by Word

• अजा: a she-goat
• अजा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अश्व: a horse
• अश्व: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महिषी: a buffalo-cow
• महिषी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिषी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मेषी: a ewe (female sheep)
• मेषी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेषी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दासी: a maidservant
• दासी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कृष्णाजिनम्: a black antelope-skin
• कृष्णाजिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + अजिन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सकरंभाः: (things) with karambha (a porridge-like food)
• सकरंभाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + करंभ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तोयकुंभाः: water-pots
• तोयकुंभाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय + कुंभ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• आसनम्: a seat
• आसनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मृदुपादुके: a pair of soft sandals
• मृदुपादुके: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृदु + पादुका (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (general kṣetra-dharma context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī pilgrim-rest area near a ghat: donors present sesame, a black antelope-skin, a water-pot, a low seat, and soft sandals; animals stand nearby as symbolic dāna; priests and travelers receive with blessings.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit in Kāśī is strengthened through compassionate giving—supporting life, comfort, and ritual purity through dāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī-kṣetra (Vārāṇasī) context is implied in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, even when a particular tīrtha-name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prescriptions of dāna: animals (goat/horse/buffalo/sheep), sesame, kṛṣṇājina, food (karambha), water-pot, seat, and footwear.