Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

दीनानाथांश्च संतर्प्य नत्वा विश्वेश्वरं विभुम् । ब्रह्मचर्यादिनियमैस्तीर्थमेवं प्रसाध्य च

Transliteration

dīnānāthāṃśca saṃtarpya natvā viśveśvaraṃ vibhum | brahmacaryādiniyamaistīrthamevaṃ prasādhya ca

Translation

غریبوں اور بے سہارا لوگوں کو سیر کر کے، اور قادرِ مطلق وِشوَیشور کے حضور سجدۂ تعظیم بجا لا کر، برہماچریہ وغیرہ کے نیَموں کے ساتھ انہوں نے تیرتھ کا ورت باقاعدہ پورا کیا۔

Word by Word

• dīna-anāthān: the poor and the helpless
• dīna-anāthān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक) + anātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व (दीनाश्च अनाथाश्च)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• saṃtarpya: having satisfied (fed)
• saṃtarpya: Adverbial (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tṛp (धातु) + सम्, ल्यप् (संतर्प्य)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; causative sense ‘to satisfy/feed’

• natvā: having bowed
• natvā: Adverbial (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nam (धातु), क्त्वा-प्रत्यय
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• viśveśvaram: Viśveśvara (Lord of the universe)
• viśveśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य ईश्वरः)

• vibhum: the all-pervading (Lord)
• vibhum: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (व्यापक/समर्थ)

• brahmacarya-ādi-niyamaiḥ: by disciplines such as celibacy
• brahmacarya-ādi-niyamaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacarya (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मचर्यादयः नियमाः)

• tīrtham: the tīrtha (holy place/rite)
• tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• evam: thus
• evam: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (thus/in this manner)

• prasādhya: having duly completed/fulfilled
• prasādhya: Adverbial (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sādh (धातु) + प्र, ल्यप् (प्रसाध्य)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; ‘having duly accomplished/arranged’

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara in Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims distribute food and water to the poor and helpless near Kāśī’s temple lanes, then bow before Viśveśvara; their demeanor is restrained, celibate, and vow-bound.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-merit arises from compassion (feeding the needy) joined with self-restraint and reverent surrender to Viśveśvara.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśveśvara in Kāśī—center of Kāśī’s sādhana and tīrtha-dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Satisfying the poor (anna/dāna implied), bowing to Viśveśvara, and observing restraints such as brahmacarya as part of tīrtha-prasādhana.