Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

श्राद्धकाले विशेषेण धर्मेशाख्यानमुत्तमम् । श्रावयेद्ब्राह्मणान्धीमान्पितॄणां तृप्तिकारणम्

Transliteration

śrāddhakāle viśeṣeṇa dharmeśākhyānamuttamam | śrāvayedbrāhmaṇāndhīmānpitṝṇāṃ tṛptikāraṇam

Translation

പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ശ്രാദ്ധകാലത്ത് ധർമ്മേശന്റെ ഈ ഉത്തമാഖ്യാനം ജ്ഞാനികൾ ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാർക്ക് ശ്രവിപ്പിക്കണം; അത് പിതൃകളുടെ തൃപ്തിക്ക് കാരണമാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• श्राद्धकाले: at the time of śrāddha
• श्राद्धकाले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śrāddhasya kālaḥ)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (instrumental used adverbially)

• धर्मेशाख्यानम्: the narrative of Dharmeśa
• धर्मेशाख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मेश + आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक); धर्मेशस्य आख्यानम्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• श्रावयेत्: should cause to be recited / should have (it) heard
• श्रावयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिचन्त (causative)

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• धीमान्: the wise (man)
• धीमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषण (of implied agent)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• तृप्तिकारणम्: a cause of satisfaction (for them)
• तृप्तिकारणम्: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (tṛpteḥ kāraṇam)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmeśvara (as recited during śrāddha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhaja) as the addressed interlocutor for the chapter’s teaching context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting: darbha grass, piṇḍas and water vessels, a householder respectfully inviting Brāhmaṇas; a reciter chants the Dharmeśvara narrative as ancestors are envisioned receiving satisfaction.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmeśa/Dharmeśvara
• Brāhmaṇas
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral rites are strengthened when performed with sacred hearing/recitation connected to Kāśī’s Śaiva tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmeśvara (Dharmeśa) in Kāśī, whose māhātmya is recommended for Śrāddha contexts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During Śrāddha, arrange for Brahmins to hear/receive recitation of the Dharmeśvarākhyāna to please the Pitṛs.