Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

यः क्षीरस्नपनार्थं वै विश्वेशे धेनुमर्पयेत् । क्षीरार्णवतटे तस्य निवसेयुः पितामहाः

Transliteration

yaḥ kṣīrasnapanārthaṃ vai viśveśe dhenumarpayet | kṣīrārṇavataṭe tasya nivaseyuḥ pitāmahāḥ

Translation

凡为乳灌沐浴之仪而向毗湿韦湿伐罗（Viśveśvara）奉献一头母牛者——其祖灵（pitṛ）将居于乳海之滨。

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• क्षीर-स्नपन-अर्थम्: for the purpose of milk-bathing (ablution with milk)
• क्षीर-स्नपन-अर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नपन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √स्ना + ल्युट्) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनवाचक (for the purpose of)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• विश्वेशे: in (the shrine of) Viśveśa
• विश्वेशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; देवस्थान-निर्देश (in Viśveśa)

• धेनुम्: a cow
• धेनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अर्पयेत्: should offer/donate
• अर्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्प् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• क्षीर-अर्णव-तटे: on the bank of the ocean of milk
• क्षीर-अर्णव-तटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक) + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक (on the bank)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• निवसेयुः: would dwell/reside
• निवसेयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• पितामहाः: forefathers/ancestors
• पितामहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī—Viśveśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee presents a decorated cow with a golden cloth and garlands at the Viśveśvara temple; priests prepare a milk-ablution for the liṅga. In a visionary overlay, pitṛs appear radiant, seated by the luminous shore of the Ocean of Milk.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśvara
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Kṣīrārṇava (Ocean of Milk)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to Viśveśvara in Kāśī through pure charity (cow-offering for milk-ablution) yields extraordinary merit that uplifts one’s ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, specifically the presence of Lord Viśveśvara (Viśvanātha) and His worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of a dhenu (cow) dedicated to kṣīra-snapana (milk-abhisheka) for Viśveśvara.