Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

यदत्र दास्यंति हि धर्मपीठे नरा द्युनद्यां कृतमज्जनाश्च । तदक्षयं भावि युगांतरेपि कृतप्रणामास्तव धर्मलिंगे

Transliteration

yadatra dāsyaṃti hi dharmapīṭhe narā dyunadyāṃ kṛtamajjanāśca | tadakṣayaṃ bhāvi yugāṃtarepi kṛtapraṇāmāstava dharmaliṃge

Translation

ഇവിടെ ധർമ്മപീഠത്തിൽ, ദിവ്യനദിയിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് മനുഷ്യർ നൽകുന്ന ദാനം വരാനിരിക്കുന്ന യുഗാന്തരത്തിലും അക്ഷയമായി നിലനിൽക്കും; കാരണം അവർ നിന്റെ ധർമ്മലിംഗത്തിന് പ്രണാമം ചെയ്തിരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever (that)
• यत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular (relative pronoun)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• दास्यन्ति: will give
• दास्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्काल), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन — Simple Future, 3rd person, Plural

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• धर्मपीठे: at the dharma-seat (holy place)
• धर्मपीठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य पीठम्)

• नराः: men / people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• द्युनद्याम्: in the Dyunadī river
• द्युनद्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्युनदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative, Singular

• कृतमज्जनाः: those who have performed bathing
• कृतमज्जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत + मज्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; बहुव्रीहिः (कृतं मज्जनं येषां ते)

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular (correlative pronoun)

• अक्षयम्: imperishable
• अक्षयम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; विशेषण

• भावि: to be / future
• भावि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु) + इन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; भाविन्-प्रत्ययान्त (future-oriented adjective)

• युगान्तरे: in another age
• युगान्तरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (युगस्य अन्तरम्)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चय-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• कृतप्रणामाः: those who have made obeisance
• कृतप्रणामाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत + प्रणाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; बहुव्रीहिः (कृतः प्रणामः येषां ते)

• तव: to you / your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive, Singular

• धर्मलिङ्गे: at the dharma-liṅga
• धर्मलिङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य लिङ्गम्)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced, addressing Dharma)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharma-pīṭha at Dharmeśvara (with Gaṅgā-snān)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims emerge from Gaṅgā after bathing, wet garments clinging; they approach a raised Dharma-pīṭha, offer gifts to brāhmaṇas/poor, then bow before a Dharma-liṅga glowing in the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma-pīṭha
• Dharma-liṅga
• Sacred river (dyu-nadī)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed in a consecrated sacred landscape, joined with reverence and bathing, yields imperishable merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharma-pīṭha area in Kāśī, associated with the Dharma-liṅga/Dharmeśvara and a sacred river-bathing spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing), praṇāma (salutation), and dāna (charitable giving) at the Dharma-pīṭha.