Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

अयने विषुवे चापि षडशीतिमुखेषु वा । विष्णुपद्यां च ये दद्युर्महादानानि सुव्रताः

Transliteration

ayane viṣuve cāpi ṣaḍaśītimukheṣu vā | viṣṇupadyāṃ ca ye dadyurmahādānāni suvratāḥ

Translation

善持戒誓者，于二至（solstice）、二分（equinox）、八十六圣会之初，以及在毗湿奴足日（Viṣṇupadī）施行大布施者，皆被称赞为守持高贵誓愿之人。

Word by Word

• अयने: at the solstice (ayana)
• अयने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (neuter locative singular)

• विषुवे: at the equinox
• विषुवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter locative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चय-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• षडशीतिमुखेषु: at the (eighty-six) ‘mukhas’/occasions called ṣaḍaśīti
• षडशीतिमुखेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षडशीति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (षडशीतिः संख्या यस्य मुखस्य/मुखानां) (neuter locative plural)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• विष्णुपद्याम्: on Viṣṇupadī (a sacred day/occasion)
• विष्णुपद्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (विष्णोः पद्या) (feminine locative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (masculine nominative plural relative pronoun)

• दद्युः: should give
• दद्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (should give)

• महादानानि: great gifts, major donations
• महादानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महानि दानानि) (neuter accusative plural)

• सुव्रताः: men of good vows
• सुव्रताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सुन्दरं व्रतं येषाम्) (masculine nominative plural)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a Kāśī ghāṭ during a solar transition day, offering gifts—cloth, grain, coins—to brāhmaṇas and the needy; the sun is depicted at a liminal position (dawn/noon), emphasizing ayana/viṣuva symbolism.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇupadī
• Ayana
• Viṣuva
• Ṣaḍaśīti-mukha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed at powerful calendrical junctions is extolled as a high form of dharma that amplifies merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s glorification of sacred practice connected to Kāśī; this verse focuses on sacred times rather than naming a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mahādāna (major charity) is prescribed on ayana (solstice), viṣuva (equinox), ṣaḍaśīti-mukha occasions, and Viṣṇupadī.