Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

निर्जले जलदातारः परसंतापहारिणः । अर्थिभ्यो ये प्रयच्छंति चित्रच्छत्रकमंडलून्

Transliteration

nirjale jaladātāraḥ parasaṃtāpahāriṇaḥ | arthibhyo ye prayacchaṃti citracchatrakamaṃḍalūn

Translation

निर्जलेषु जलदातारः परसन्तापहारिणः। अर्थिभ्यो ये प्रयच्छन्ति चित्रच्छत्रकमण्डलून्॥

Word by Word

• निर्जले: in a waterless (place)
• निर्जले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः ‘न जलं यस्मिन्’

• जलदातारः: givers of water
• जलदातारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + दातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘जलस्य दातारः’

• परसंतापहारिणः: removers of others’ suffering
• परसंतापहारिणः: Karta (कर्ता) विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + संताप (प्रातिपदिक) + हारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘परस्य संतापं हरन्ति’ (removers of others’ distress)

• अर्थिभ्यः: to supplicants
• अर्थिभ्यः: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• प्रयच्छन्ति: give, bestow
• प्रयच्छन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘to give/bestow’

• चित्र: variegated, splendid
• चित्र: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग; विशेषणार्थ

• छत्र: umbrella
• छत्र: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग

• कमण्डलून्: water-pots
• कमण्डलून्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमण्डलु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• चित्रछत्रकमण्डलून्: splendid umbrellas and water-pots
• चित्रछत्रकमण्डलून्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + छत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कमण्डलु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (copulative), द्वितीया बहुवचन; ‘splendid umbrellas and water-pots’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: continuing praise of water-related charity in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sun-scorched road with weary travelers; a donor offers cool water, a fine umbrella, and a kamaṇḍalu-like water-pot; faces brighten as suffering lifts.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Relieving thirst and travel hardship is a direct form of compassion; dharma is expressed through practical service to those in need.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tirtha is named; the teaching supports the Skanda Purana’s wider pilgrimage ethos, especially within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna is prescribed in concrete forms: offering water in dry places and gifting umbrellas and kamaṇḍalu to seekers and travelers.