Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

वापीकूपतडागानामारामाणां पदेपदे । शुचिभिर्द्रव्यसंभारैः कर्तारो यत्र भूरिशः

Transliteration

vāpīkūpataḍāgānāmārāmāṇāṃ padepade | śucibhirdravyasaṃbhāraiḥ kartāro yatra bhūriśaḥ

Translation

எங்கு எங்கும் படிப்படியாக கிணறு, குளம், தடாகம், தோட்டம் ஆகியவற்றை அமைப்போர் பலர் உள்ளனர்; அவர்கள் தூய்மையான, நிறைவான பொருள்-வளங்களுடன் செயற்படுகின்றனர்.

Word by Word

• वापी: well/step-well (vāpī)
• वापी: Samuccita (Member of list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कूप: well
• कूप: Samuccita (Member of list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तडागानाम्: of ponds/tanks
• तडागानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तडाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• आरामाणाम्: of gardens/groves
• आरामाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आराम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पदे: at a step/place
• पदे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पदे: at a step/place
• पदे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• शुचिभिः: with pure/clean
• शुचिभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) / नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) (contextual agreement with द्रव्यसंभारैः), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• द्रव्यसंभारैः: with collections of materials
• द्रव्यसंभारैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य + संभार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कर्तारः: doers, builders, makers
• कर्तारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (relative adverb of place)

• भूरिशः: many, abundant
• भूरिशः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूरिशस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-friendly Kāśī: masons and donors building stepwells and tanks; gardeners tending flowering groves; travelers drawing water; shaded paths near ghats.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a holy land, devotion expresses itself as public welfare—creating water sources and gardens is a form of dharmic merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is praised as richly endowed with tīrtha-supporting infrastructure—wells, tanks, and groves.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dāna-like prescription: building and maintaining vāpīs, kūpas, taḍāgas, and ārāmas with clean resources.