Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

विचित्रैश्च तथा पात्रैः स्वर्णरौप्यादि निर्मितैः । अमृतस्वादुपक्वान्नैः पायसै श्च सशर्करैः

Transliteration

vicitraiśca tathā pātraiḥ svarṇaraupyādi nirmitaiḥ | amṛtasvādupakvānnaiḥ pāyasai śca saśarkaraiḥ

Translation

அவர்கள் பொன்-வெள்ளி முதலியவற்றால் செய்யப்பட்ட அழகிய பாத்திரங்களைத் தானமாக அளித்தனர்; அமுதுபோல் இனிய சமைத்த அன்னமும், சர்க்கரை கலந்த பாயசமும் அர்ப்பணித்தனர்।

Word by Word

• विचित्रैः: with various/ornate
• विचित्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण) बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (instrumental plural, qualifying)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थे (adverb: likewise/also)

• पात्रैः: with vessels/containers
• पात्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण) बहुवचनम् (instrumental plural)

• स्वर्णरौप्यादि: gold, silver, etc.
• स्वर्णरौप्यादि: Sambandha (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + रौप्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; समासः (द्वन्द्वः) ‘स्वर्णं च रौप्यं च’ + ‘आदि’ (gold, silver, etc.)

• निर्मितैः: made/constructed
• निर्मितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मि (धातु) → निर्मित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः; पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; ‘पात्रैः’ इति विशेषणम् (past passive participle: made)

• अमृतस्वादुपक्वान्नैः: with nectar-sweet cooked foods
• अमृतस्वादुपक्वान्नैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वादु (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्व (कृदन्त) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-तत्पुरुषसमासभावः: ‘अमृतवत् स्वादु’ इति + ‘पक्व-अन्न’ (sweet like nectar, cooked food)

• पायसैः: with rice-pudding/milk-sweet
• पायसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम् (instrumental plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• सशर्करैः: together with sugar
• सशर्करैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शर्करा (प्रातिपदिक) + स (उपसर्गसदृशः ‘सह’)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः ‘शर्करया सह’; नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; ‘पायसैः/पक्वान्नैः’ इत्यादीनां विशेषणम् (with sugar)

Speaker

Parāśara (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims/householders in Kāśī present gold and silver vessels filled with fragrant, freshly cooked offerings—pāyasa gleaming with sugar—before distributing to sādhus and brāhmaṇas near a shrine/ghāṭa.

Characters & Entities

• Dāna recipients (pilgrims/holy residents)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a sacred place like Kāśī, charity becomes refined worship—offering both sustenance and dignified gifts enhances the merit of pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s tīrtha-environment is the setting; the verse highlights the culture of dāna performed there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of vessels (pātra-dāna) and annadāna including pāyasa with sugar.