Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

अग्निहोत्रैर्न तच्छ्रेयो नाग्निष्टोमादिभिर्मखैः । यच्छ्रेयः प्राप्यते मर्त्यैर्द्विजे चैके प्रतिष्ठिते

Transliteration

agnihotrairna tacchreyo nāgniṣṭomādibhirmakhaiḥ | yacchreyaḥ prāpyate martyairdvije caike pratiṣṭhite

Translation

Jene gleiche geistige Vortrefflichkeit wird weder durch Agnihotra-Riten noch durch Opfer wie das Agniṣṭoma erlangt; denn größer ist das Verdienst, das Sterbliche gewinnen, wenn sie auch nur einen einzigen Dvija, einen Zweimalgeborenen, aufrichten und unterstützen.

Word by Word

• agnihotraiḥ: by Agnihotra rites
• agnihotraiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agnihotra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘श्रेयः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणवत् (that)

• śreyaḥ: merit/supreme good
• śreyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• na: nor/not
• na: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• agniṣṭoma-ādibhiḥ: by sacrifices such as Agniṣṭoma
• agniṣṭoma-ādibhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agniṣṭoma (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अग्निष्टोमः आदिः येषां ते)

• makhaiḥ: by sacrificial rites
• makhaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• yat: which (merit)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचकं—‘यत् … प्राप्यते’

• śreyaḥ: merit/supreme good
• śreyaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘यत्’ इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन

• prāpyate: is obtained
• prāpyate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√āp (प्र + आप् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• martyaiḥ: by mortals
• martyaiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/कर्ता-करण), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे कर्तृ-तृतीया (agent in passive)

• dvije: in/with a brāhmaṇa (twice-born)
• dvije: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• eke: in one (single)
• eke: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘dvije’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (in a single/one)

• pratiṣṭhite: when established/when (the gift) is placed
• pratiṣṭhite: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prati-√sthā (प्रति + स्था धातु) + kta (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast tableau: on one side elaborate Vedic sacrifice with altars; on the other, a patron establishing a learned dvija with books, food, and shelter—radiance stronger on the latter, signaling superior śreyas.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Practical dharma—uplifting and firmly supporting a worthy dvija—can yield merit surpassing elaborate Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in the Kāśī Māhātmya narrative framework, where dharmic support and charity are especially celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A value hierarchy is stated: supporting/establishing a dvija is praised as yielding greater śreyas than Agnihotra or Agniṣṭoma sacrifices.