Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

वेश्मदो ऽत्युच्चसौधेशो वस्त्रदश्चंद्रलो कभाक् । हयप्रदो दिव्ययानो लक्ष्मीवान्वृषभप्रदः

Transliteration

veśmado 'tyuccasaudheśo vastradaścaṃdralo kabhāk | hayaprado divyayāno lakṣmīvānvṛṣabhapradaḥ

Translation

ผู้ถวายเรือนย่อมเป็นเจ้าของคฤหาสน์อันสูงส่งยิ่ง ผู้ถวายผ้านุ่งห่มย่อมถึงโลกพระจันทร์ ผู้ถวายม้าย่อมได้พาหนะทิพย์ และผู้ถวายโคเพศผู้ย่อมสมบูรณ์ด้วยลักษมี

Word by Word

• वेश्मदः: giver of a house
• वेश्मदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेश्मन् + द (प्रातिपदिक; दा-धातोः कृत ‘द’=दाता)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेश्मनः दः/दाता)

• अत्युच्चसौधेशः: lord of very lofty mansions
• अत्युच्चसौधेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति + उच्च + सौध + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (अत्युच्चस्य सौधस्य ईशः)

• वस्त्रदः: giver of clothes
• वस्त्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र + द (प्रातिपदिक; दा-धातोः कृत ‘द’=दाता)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वस्त्रस्य दः/दाता)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• चन्द्रलोकभाक्: attainer of the lunar world
• चन्द्रलोकभाक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्रलोक + भज् (धातु) (कृदन्त ‘भाक्’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः; ‘भाक्’=भज्-धातोः क्विप्, अर्थः ‘भागी/प्राप्त’

• हयप्रदः: giver of horses
• हयप्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; दा-धातोः कृत ‘प्रद’=प्रदाता)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हयस्य प्रदः)

• दिव्ययानः: having a divine vehicle
• दिव्ययानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य + यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (दिव्यम् यानम् यस्य)

• लक्ष्मीवान्: prosperous; possessing Lakshmi
• लक्ष्मीवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लक्ष्मी + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive adjective)

• वृषभप्रदः: giver of a bull
• वृषभप्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; दा-धातोः कृत ‘प्रद’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वृषभस्य प्रदः)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual, Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī courtyard with a newly endowed dharmaśālā; donors present folded garments; a horse and a bull are ceremonially offered with garlands; above, a crescent moon motif suggests Candraloka and a celestial chariot motif suggests divya-yāna.

Characters & Entities

• Candra-loka (Moon world)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Selfless giving transforms one’s destiny—material gifts offered as dharma become causes of higher realms and prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Avimukta is the implied sacred setting where such dānas are taught and magnified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of a house, clothes, horse, and bull, each linked to a specific reward.