Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

धनंजयोपि धर्मात्मा मातृभक्तिपरायणः । आदायास्थीन्यथो मातुर्गंगा मार्गस्थितोऽभवत्

Transliteration

dhanaṃjayopi dharmātmā mātṛbhaktiparāyaṇaḥ | ādāyāsthīnyatho māturgaṃgā mārgasthito'bhavat

Translation

Dhanaṃjaya ebenfalls, rechtschaffenen Herzens und der Verehrung seiner Mutter ergeben, nahm die Gebeine seiner Mutter an sich und machte sich auf den Weg zur Gaṅgā.

Word by Word

• धनंजयः: Dhanaṃjaya (name)
• धनंजयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे (also/even)

• धर्मात्मा: one whose nature is righteous
• धर्मात्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य आत्मा)

• मातृभक्तिपरायणः: devoted to service of (his) mother
• मातृभक्तिपरायणः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मातृ-भक्ति-परायण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मातृभक्तौ परायणः) विशेषणम् धनंजयस्य

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having taken)

• अस्थीनि: bones
• अस्थीनि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse marker (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• मातुः: of (his) mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• गङ्गामार्गस्थितः: standing/being on the road to the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गामार्गस्थितः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गङ्गा-मार्ग-स्थित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (गङ्गायाः मार्गे स्थितः) विशेषणम्

• अभवत्: became, was
• अभवत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī-Gaṅgā implied)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted son, Dhanaṃjaya, carrying a small bundle of his mother’s bones, sets out on the dusty road toward the Gaṅgā; his face shows resolve and tenderness, with pilgrims and distant river imagery suggested.

Characters & Entities

• Dhanaṃjaya
• Gaṅgā
• Mother (mātṛ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving one’s parents and performing post-death duties are upheld as dharma that supports both family and spiritual welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā is explicitly invoked as the sacred destination; in Kāśī-khaṇḍa this ties to Kāśī’s broader sacred river-landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Transporting the deceased’s bones/remains toward the Gaṅgā for sacred rites is implied.