Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

दद्यादाचार्यवर्याय सालंकारां सलक्षणाम् । उपोष्य दंपती भक्त्या नवांबरविभूषितौ

Transliteration

dadyādācāryavaryāya sālaṃkārāṃ salakṣaṇām | upoṣya daṃpatī bhaktyā navāṃbaravibhūṣitau

Translation

ഉപവാസം അനുഷ്ഠിച്ച്, ഭക്തിയോടെ പുതുവസ്ത്രങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കരിച്ച ദമ്പതികൾ, അലങ്കാരസമൃദ്ധവും മംഗളലക്ഷണങ്ങളുള്ളതുമായ ആ പശുവിനെ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ആചാര്യനു സമർപ്പിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• आचार्यवर्याय: to the excellent teacher
• आचार्यवर्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य + वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (वर्यः आचार्यः)

• सालंकाराम्: adorned (with ornaments)
• सालंकाराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + अलंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; उपसर्गसदृश ‘स-’ (with) + अलंकार; विशेषणम्

• सलक्षणाम्: having auspicious marks
• सलक्षणाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘with auspicious marks’; विशेषणम्

• उपोष्य: having fasted
• उपोष्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप + √वस्/उष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘having fasted’

• दम्पती: the couple (husband and wife)
• दम्पती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम्पती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; दम्पती = पति-पत्नी (husband and wife as a pair)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• नवाम्बरविभूषितौ: adorned with new garments
• नवाम्बरविभूषितौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव + अम्बर + विभूषित (प्रातिपदिक; √भूष् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘विभूषित’; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नवेन अम्बरेण विभूषितौ)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A husband and wife, having fasted, stand in fresh garments with folded hands, presenting the decorated cow to a venerable ācārya seated on a low seat, with attendants holding garlands and ritual vessels.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• ācārya
• daṃpatī (couple)
• dāna (gift)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householders perfect a vow through devotion, self-restraint (fasting), and respectful giving to a qualified teacher.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred field where vrata, upavāsa, and dāna are described as especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting) by the couple, wearing new clothes, and giving the prescribed gift to an ācārya.