Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अगजान्यस्य तु गजान्नगवर्ष्मसुवर्ष्मणः । अजस्र दानिनो दृष्ट्वा भवन्नन्येपि दानिनः

Transliteration

agajānyasya tu gajānnagavarṣmasuvarṣmaṇaḥ | ajasra dānino dṛṣṭvā bhavannanyepi dāninaḥ

Translation

पर्वतासारख्या देहाचा, तेजस्वी देहाचा त्या प्रभूपासून हत्ती उत्पन्न झाले. त्याची अखंड दानशीलता पाहून इतरही दाते होतात।

Word by Word

• agajān: elephants
• agajān: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘अगज’ = पर्वतज (elephant)

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tu: but, indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• gajān: elephants
• gajān: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• naga-varṣma-suvarṣmaṇaḥ: of him whose body is mountain-like and splendid
• naga-varṣma-suvarṣmaṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naga (प्रातिपदिक) + varṣman (प्रातिपदिक) + su-varṣman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (नगवत्/नगसदृशं वर्ष्म यस्य, सुवर्ष्म)

• ajasram: unceasingly
• ajasram: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ajasra (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्वार्थक (continually)

• dāninaḥ: generous
• dāninaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dānin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘दानिन्’ = giving, generous

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• bhavan: you (sir)
• bhavan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम

• anye: others
• anye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि (also)

• dāninaḥ: generous (ones)
• dāninaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dānin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A splendid ‘mountain-bodied’ lord/king radiating abundance; elephants emerging as symbols of prosperity; citizens watching and beginning to offer gifts in response to his ceaseless charity.

Characters & Entities

• Gaja (elephants)
• Dāna (charity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Generosity is contagious: the steady giver becomes the cause for dharma to spread through others’ giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s broader celebration of dharmic prosperity, without naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving) is thematically praised, though no specific item, timing, or vow is prescribed.