Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

तेषां गणानां किं कुर्मो दरिद्राणां वयं विभो । समुद्रा रत्नसंभारं प्रत्यहं प्रेषयंति च

Transliteration

teṣāṃ gaṇānāṃ kiṃ kurmo daridrāṇāṃ vayaṃ vibho | samudrā ratnasaṃbhāraṃ pratyahaṃ preṣayaṃti ca

Translation

Bạch Đấng Tối Thượng, chúng con biết làm gì cho các gaṇa nghèo khó ấy? Ngay cả đại dương cũng mỗi ngày gửi đến một đống châu báu.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of those
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम-रूप (pronoun form)

• गणानाम्: of the groups/hosts
• गणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd) एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• कुर्मः: we do
• कुर्मः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• दरिद्राणाम्: of the poor
• दरिद्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दरिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) (गणानाम् इति विशेष्यस्य), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम-रूप

• विभो: O Lord
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• समुद्राः: the oceans
• समुद्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• रत्न-संभारम्: a collection/heap of jewels
• रत्न-संभारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + संभार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रत्नानां संभारः)

• प्रति-अहम्: every day
• प्रति-अहम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय) + अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial)

• प्रेषयन्ति: send
• प्रेषयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रेषय् (धातु, णिजन्त/causative of प्रि/इष्?; प्रेषयति)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A courtly, otherworldly vision of the Lord in Kāśī receiving daily tribute: the ocean personified sending heaps of jewels, while humble gaṇas speak of their poverty yet participate in lavish cosmic offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Oceans (Samudras)
• Gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a supreme sacred realm, even nature becomes an offering—divine grace supplies what is needed, underscoring Kāśī’s unmatched sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, presented as a city so holy that cosmic forces support its divine order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse evokes the idea of continual offerings (nitya-upahāra) to the divine sphere.