Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तत्रापि काकिणी मात्रं यच्छेत्पितृमुदे नरः । अक्षयं फलमाप्नोति धर्मपीठप्रभावतः

Transliteration

tatrāpi kākiṇī mātraṃ yacchetpitṛmude naraḥ | akṣayaṃ phalamāpnoti dharmapīṭhaprabhāvataḥ

Translation

அங்கேயும் பித்ருக்களின் மகிழ்ச்சிக்காக ஒரே ஒரு காகிணி நாணயம் மட்டும் தானம் செய்தால்கூட, தர்மபீடத்தின் சக்தியால் அழியாத பலனை அடைவான்.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb: there)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (also/even)

• काकिणी: a kākiṇī coin
• काकिणी: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kākiṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; द्रव्यवाचकः (a small coin)

• मात्रम्: only, merely (a measure)
• मात्रम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; परिमाणवाचक-विशेषणम् (only/just)

• यच्छेत्: should give
• यच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yam (यम् उपदाने/नियमे)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• पितृमुदे: for the ancestors' joy
• पितृमुदे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + muda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषः/उद्देश्य-सम्बन्धः ('for the joy of the ancestors'); स्त्रीलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (Dative), एकवचनम्

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अक्षयम्: imperishable
• अक्षयम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (of फलम्)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• आप्नोति: obtains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (आप् प्राप्तौ)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• धर्मपीठप्रभावतः: because of the power of the Dharma-pīṭha
• धर्मपीठप्रभावतः: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + pīṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (chain: 'due to the power of the dharma-seat'); पुंलिङ्गे पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative), एकवचनम्; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmapīṭha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Dharmapīṭha, a pilgrim offers a single small coin with folded hands, dedicating it to the pitṛs; a subtle aura indicates ‘akṣaya’ merit flowing upward.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmapīṭha
• Pitṛs
• Kākiṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere intention and sacred place together magnify even a tiny act of charity into imperishable merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmapīṭha (associated with Dharmatīrtha) in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna—even as small as one kākiṇī—offered with the aim of pleasing the Pitṛs.