Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

स्वमार्गगाधनाढ्याश्च शूद्रप्रायाः कुटुंबिनः । संविभज्य च भोक्तारः क्रोधासूयाविवर्जिताः

Transliteration

svamārgagādhanāḍhyāśca śūdraprāyāḥ kuṭuṃbinaḥ | saṃvibhajya ca bhoktāraḥ krodhāsūyāvivarjitāḥ

Translation

তাঁরা নিজ নিজ জীবিকায় সমৃদ্ধ, অধিকাংশই শূদ্রপ্রায় গৃহস্থ। ভাগ করে তবেই আহার করেন, ক্রোধ ও ঈর্ষা থেকে মুক্ত থাকেন।

Word by Word

• स्वमार्गगाधनाढ्याः: rich in their own path and in bathing/ablution (resources)
• स्वमार्गगाधनाढ्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + गाधन (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्; समासः: स्वमार्गे गाधने च आढ्याः (समृद्धाः)

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

• शूद्रप्रायाः: mostly like śūdras
• शूद्रप्रायाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्; समासः: शूद्रप्रायाः = शूद्रसदृशाः/शूद्रबहुलाः

• कुटुंबिनः: householders
• कुटुंबिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुटुंबिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• संविभज्य: having distributed/shared
• संविभज्य: Kriya (Adverbial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + वि + भज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); धातुः भज् (to share), उपसर्गाः सम्, वि; क्रियाविशेषणम् (पूर्वक्रिया)

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

• भोक्तारः: enjoyers/eaters
• भोक्तारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोक्‍तृ (प्रातिपदिक; √भुज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्तृवाचक-नाम (agent noun)

• क्रोधासूयाविवर्जिताः: free from anger and envy
• क्रोधासूयाविवर्जिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक) + असूया (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वि + वर्ज् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्; समासः: क्रोधेन असूयया च विवर्जिताः (devoid of anger and envy)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A peaceful Kāśī neighborhood of householders: granaries and tools of trade, people seated in a courtyard distributing food before eating; faces calm, no quarrel, no jealousy.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True prosperity is dharmic: share first, then enjoy—while remaining free of anger and envy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though no single tirtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical dharma is implied: saṃvibhajya—distribute food/wealth to others before eating (a form of dāna and hospitality).