Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

दानं वाऽथ व्रतंवाऽथ मंत्रःस्तोत्रजपोऽथवा । तीर्थांतराभिषेको वा देवतोपासनं तु वा

Transliteration

dānaṃ vā'tha vrataṃvā'tha maṃtraḥstotrajapo'thavā | tīrthāṃtarābhiṣeko vā devatopāsanaṃ tu vā

Translation

是以布施（dāna）吗？或守誓戒（vrata）吗？或诵持真言与赞颂（mantra、stotra）吗？或在他处圣地（tīrtha）行灌沐之浴？或修持对神祇的礼拜供养？

Word by Word

• दानम्: gift/charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √दा (धातु) + ल्युट् → दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• अथ: then/and
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (then/and)

• व्रतम्: vow/observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• अथ: then/and
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and/then)

• मन्त्रः: mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karma (Item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; (समासपूर्वपद)

• स्तोत्र: hymn
• स्तोत्र: Karma (Item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (as compound member)

• जपः: repetition/chanting
• जपः: Karma (Item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √जप् (धातु) + घञ् → जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; (समासान्तपद)

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ + वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or else)

• तीर्थ: pilgrimage place
• तीर्थ: Qualifier
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद

• अन्तर: other
• अन्तर: Qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (meaning ‘other’)

• अभिषेकः: ablution/anointing at another tīrtha
• अभिषेकः: Karma (Item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभि-√सिच् (धातु) + घञ् → अभिषेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; (तीर्थ-अन्तर-अभिषेकः = अन्यतीर्थे अभिषेकः)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• देवता: deity
• देवता: Qualifier
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद

• उपासनम्: worship of a deity
• उपासनम्: Karma (Item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप-√आस् (धातु) + ल्युट् → उपासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; (देवतोपासनम् = देवतायाः उपासनम्)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक अव्यय (but/indeed)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

Speaker

Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A questioning sage enumerates practices—charity, vows, japa, stotra, other tīrtha baths, deity worship—like a garland of options offered to the listener.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Gaṅgā (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma recognizes multiple valid practices—charity, vows, mantra-japa, worship—that can convey tīrtha-like merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā remains the implied standard; other tīrthas are mentioned as possible substitutes (tīrthāntara).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna, vrata, mantra/stotra-japa, tīrthāntara-abhiṣeka (bathing at other tīrthas), and devatā-upāsanā.