Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

यत्षोडशमहादानैः पुण्यं प्रोक्तं महर्षिभिः । तत्पुण्यं जायते पुंसां विश्वेशे पुष्पदानतः

Transliteration

yatṣoḍaśamahādānaiḥ puṇyaṃ proktaṃ maharṣibhiḥ | tatpuṇyaṃ jāyate puṃsāṃ viśveśe puṣpadānataḥ

Translation

മഹർഷികൾ ഷോഡശ മഹാദാനങ്ങളാൽ ഉണ്ടാകുന്ന പുണ്യമെന്ന് പ്രസ്താവിച്ചതുപോലെ, വിശ്വേശ്വരനു പുഷ്പദാനം ചെയ്‌താൽ മനുഷ്യർക്കും അതേ പുണ്യം ജനിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• षोडशमहादानैः: by the sixteen great gifts
• षोडशमहादानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षोडश-महा-दान (प्रातिपदिक; दान < √दा (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षोडशानि महादानानि)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रोक्तम्: declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Karma (Predicate qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुण्यं विशेषयति

• महर्षिभिः: by the great sages
• महर्षिभिः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान् ऋषिः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सहसंबन्धी

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• जायते: arises/is produced
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• विश्वेशे: in/for Viśveśa
• विश्वेशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य ईशः)

• पुष्पदानतः: from offering flowers
• पुष्पदानतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प-दान (प्रातिपदिक; दान < √दा (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पुष्पस्य दानम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee places a handful of flowers at Viśveśvara’s liṅga; above, symbolic emblems of the sixteen great gifts (gold, cows, land, etc.) appear as faint icons, indicating equivalence through pushpa-dāna.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśvara
• Mahādāna
• Puṣpa (flowers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple bhakti-offerings at the supreme shrine can equal elaborate charitable rites when done with devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśveśvara in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Puṣpa-dāna—offering flowers to Viśveśvara.