Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

पुराणपाठकांश्चापि प्रतिदेवालयं धनैः । देवालये नृत्यगीतकरणार्थैरनेकशः

Transliteration

purāṇapāṭhakāṃścāpi pratidevālayaṃ dhanaiḥ | devālaye nṛtyagītakaraṇārthairanekaśaḥ

Translation

又于各座神庙施财供养诵读《往世书》(Purāṇa)者；并在殿中屡次资助舞蹈、歌咏及其演出之所需——（由此增辉迦尸 Kāśī 的礼拜功德）。

Word by Word

• पुराण-पाठकान्: reciters of the Purāṇas
• पुराण-पाठकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक) + पाठक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात — conjunction ‘and’

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय — particle ‘also/even’

• प्रति-देवालयम्: for each temple
• प्रति-देवालयम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय) + देवालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणत्वम् — adverbial ‘for each temple/temple by temple’

• धनैः: with money/wealth
• धनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• देवालये: in the temple
• देवालये: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• नृत्य-गीत-करण-अर्थैः: with means for dance and song performances
• नृत्य-गीत-करण-अर्थैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गीत (प्रातिपदिक) + करण (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; ‘means/resources for performing dance and song’

• अनेकशः: in many ways
• अनेकशः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय — adverb ‘in many ways/many times’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a Kāśī temple: a Purāṇa reciter on a vyāsāsana with manuscript; listeners seated; nearby, dancers and musicians perform before the deity; patrons offer coins and garlands; lamps and incense fill the hall.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• devālaya (temple)
• Purāṇa-pāṭhaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustaining sacred narration and devotional arts in temples is praised as a form of dharmic patronage that magnifies worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, especially its network of temples where Purāṇa recitation and devotional performance are honored.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donations for Purāṇa reciters and for arranging temple dance and music as offerings.