Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । तुला मुक्ताफलानां तु कोटिद्वय परीमिताः । तथा वारितराणां च हीरकाणां तुला शतम्

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | tulā muktāphalānāṃ tu koṭidvaya parīmitāḥ | tathā vāritarāṇāṃ ca hīrakāṇāṃ tulā śatam

Translation

Skanda bersabda: “Mutiara-mutiara itu seberat dua krore (dua puluh juta) tulā; dan demikian juga berlian serta permata unggul yang lain seberat seratus tulā.”

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तुलाः: tulās (weights/measures)
• तुलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मुक्ताफलानाम्: of pearls
• मुक्ताफलानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ताफल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• कोटिद्वयम्: two crores
• कोटिद्वयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (संख्यापूर्वक)

• परीमिताः: measured/amounting to
• परीमिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + मा (धातु) → परीमित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘तुलाः’ इति विशेषण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• वारितराणाम्: of emeralds (vāritara)
• वारितराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारितर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

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

• हीरकाणाम्: of diamonds
• हीरकाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हीरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तुलाः: tulās (weights)
• तुलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A sage/brāhmaṇa interlocutor (as addressed in surrounding verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda, as divine narrator, enumerates immense quantities of pearls and diamonds offered in Kāśī—piles of luminous gems before a sanctified altar, with priests recording measures (tulā) and devotees in reverent wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Material abundance is portrayed as an instrument for dharma—wealth becomes sanctified when directed toward righteous purpose and sacred journeys.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī’s praise), this verse supports the narrative setting rather than naming a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied dāna/offerings through enumerating valuables; no explicit rite is stated.