Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

गायत्रीमंत्रतोयाढ्यं दत्तं येनांजलित्रयम् । काले सवित्रे किं न स्यात्तेन दत्तं जगत्त्रयम्

Transliteration

gāyatrīmaṃtratoyāḍhyaṃ dattaṃ yenāṃjalitrayam | kāle savitre kiṃ na syāttena dattaṃ jagattrayam

Translation

യോഗ്യസമയത്ത് ഗായത്രീമന്ത്രസമ്പന്നമായ ജലത്തിന്റെ മൂന്ന് അഞ്ജലികൾ സവിതാവിന് അർപ്പിച്ചവന് എന്താണ് അപ്രാപ്യം? അവൻ ത്രിലോകം തന്നേ ദാനം ചെയ്തതുപോലെ.

Word by Word

• गायत्री-मन्त्र-तोय-आढ्यम्: rich with water (sanctified) by the Gāyatrī mantra
• गायत्री-मन्त्र-तोय-आढ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गायत्री-मन्त्रेण युक्तं तोयम्; तेन आढ्यम् = ‘rich/filled with’)

• दत्तम्: given; offered
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• येन: by whom; by which (person)
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अञ्जलि-त्रयम्: three handfuls (anjalis)
• अञ्जलि-त्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (त्रयम् अञ्जलयः)

• काले: at the proper time
• काले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• सवित्रे: to Savitṛ (the Sun)
• सवित्रे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सवितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• स्यात्: would be; could be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• तेन: by that (person)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• जगत्-त्रयम्: the three worlds
• जगत्-त्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (त्रयम् जगति/लोकाः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sandhyā-arghya to Savitṛ in Kāśī

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers three shimmering handfuls of water; within the water arcs appear subtle symbolic ‘three worlds’ (earth, mid-sky, heaven) as luminous spheres, all directed to Savitṛ’s radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Savitṛ (Sūrya)
• Gāyatrī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Small daily offerings done with mantra and right timing carry immense merit, equated here with the highest form of giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting of the Kāśī-khaṇḍa, emphasizing mantra-upāsanā as a hallmark of life in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arghya: offering three handfuls of water to Savitṛ at Sandhyā, infused with the Gāyatrī mantra.