Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

दानहानिर्गजेष्वेव द्रुमेष्वेव हि कंटकाः । जनेष्वेव विहारा हि न कस्यचिदुरःस्थली

Transliteration

dānahānirgajeṣveva drumeṣveva hi kaṃṭakāḥ | janeṣveva vihārā hi na kasyaciduraḥsthalī

Translation

جہاں 'دان' (ہاتھی کا مادہ) کا زیاں صرف ہاتھیوں میں ہے، اور کانٹے صرف درختوں پر پائے جاتے ہیں، لوگوں کے دلوں میں نہیں۔

Word by Word

• dānahāniḥ: Loss of rut fluid (Pun: Cessation of charity)
• dānahāniḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānahāni (दानहानि)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular

• gajeṣu: In elephants
• gajeṣu: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (गज)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (सप्तमी), Plural

• eva: Only
• eva: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (एव)
• Form: Particle

• drumeṣu: In trees
• drumeṣu: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: druma (द्रुम)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (सप्तमी), Plural

• eva: Only
• eva: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (एव)
• Form: Particle

• hi: Indeed/For
• hi: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (हि)
• Form: Particle

• kaṇṭakāḥ: Thorns (Pun: Enemies/Obstacles)
• kaṇṭakāḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṇṭaka (कण्टक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural

• janeṣu: In people
• janeṣu: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (जन)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (सप्तमी), Plural

• eva: Only
• eva: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (एव)
• Form: Particle

• vihārāḥ: Pleasure walks/Gardens
• vihārāḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vihāra (विहार)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural

• hi: Indeed
• hi: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (हि)
• Form: Particle

• na: Not
• na: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (न)
• Form: Particle

• kasyacit: Of anyone
• kasyacit: Sambandha (Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kimcit (किञ्चित्)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (षष्ठी), Singular

• uraḥsthalī: Chest region (Pun: Heartache/Burden)
• uraḥsthalī: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uraḥsthalī (उरःस्थली)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast scene: in the ‘degraded land,’ people lounge in indulgence while no one steps forward to help; elephants symbolically ‘lose dāna’ (a pun on rut/temple-gift imagery) and trees alone bear thorns. In Kāśī, devotees distribute food at a ghāṭa under Annapūrṇā’s blessing, with compassionate faces and upright posture.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dharmic land is recognized by generosity, courage, and compassionate hearts; indulgence without virtue marks decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is praised implicitly as a place where dāna and dharma thrive, contrasted with lands lacking noble-hearted people.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna is highlighted as a core dharmic marker (though not given as a step-by-step rite here), aligning with Kāśī pilgrimage practices of charity and offerings.