Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा गंगामृते शुद्धे तप एतदिहोत्तमम् । सत्कृत्य भिक्षवे भिक्षा यत्काश्यां परिदीयते । तुला पुरुष एतस्याः कलां नार्हति षोडशीम्

Transliteration

snātvā gaṃgāmṛte śuddhe tapa etadihottamam | satkṛtya bhikṣave bhikṣā yatkāśyāṃ paridīyate | tulā puruṣa etasyāḥ kalāṃ nārhati ṣoḍaśīm

Translation

ଶୁଦ୍ଧ ଅମୃତମୟ ଗଙ୍ଗାରେ ସ୍ନାନ କରି, ଏଠାରେ ସର୍ବୋତ୍ତମ ତପ ଏହିଏ—ଭିକ୍ଷୁକଙ୍କୁ ସତ୍କାର କରି କାଶୀରେ ଭିକ୍ଷାଦାନ କରିବା। ‘ତୁଳାପୁରୁଷ’ର ପୁଣ୍ୟ ମଧ୍ୟ ଏହାର ଷୋଡଶୀଂଶ କଳାକୁ ସମ ନୁହେଁ।

Word by Word

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (स्ना धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having bathed)

• gaṅgā-amṛte: in the nectar of the Gaṅgā
• gaṅgā-amṛte: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक) + amṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गायाः अमृतम्)

• śuddhe: pure
• śuddhe: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अमृते)

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'here')

• uttamam: best
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तपः/एतत्)

• sat-kṛtya: having honored
• sat-kṛtya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, absolutive/gerund) ‘सत्’ उपपदपूर्वक; ‘having honored/treated well’

• bhikṣave: to a mendicant
• bhikṣave: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhikṣu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• bhikṣā: alms
• bhikṣā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhikṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (यद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• paridīyate: is given
• paridīyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√dā (दा धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• tulā: a comparison/scale
• tulā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tulā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• puruṣaḥ: a person
• puruṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• etasyāḥ: of this
• etasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (referring to bhikṣā)

• kalām: a fraction/part
• kalām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• arhati: is worthy of / equals
• arhati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arh (अर्ह् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ṣoḍaśīm: sixteenth
• ṣoḍaśīm: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣoḍaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कलाम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn on a Kāśī ghāṭ: pilgrims bathe in the shimmering Gaṅgā described as amṛta; afterward a householder offers a bowl of food and cloth to a saffron-clad mendicant with reverent gesture; a symbolic balance scale in the background hints at Tulā-puruṣa being surpassed.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Bhikṣu (mendicant)
• Tulā-puruṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, purification through Gaṅgā-bathing and compassionate giving to ascetics is exalted above even grand ceremonial charities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) and the city’s culture of sacred almsgiving are glorified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gaṅgā-snāna (bathing in the Gaṅgā) and respectfully giving bhikṣā (alms/food) to a bhikṣu; it is said to surpass Tulā-puruṣa charity.