Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

न्यासाधीकुलवृत्तिं च निक्षेपं स्त्रीधनं सुतम् । यो ददाति स मूढात्मा प्रायश्चित्तैर्विशुध्यति

Transliteration

nyāsādhīkulavṛttiṃ ca nikṣepaṃ strīdhanaṃ sutam | yo dadāti sa mūḍhātmā prāyaścittairviśudhyati

Translation

Wer anvertrautes Gut, den Lebensunterhalt seiner Familie, eine hinterlegte Einlage, das Eigentum einer Frau oder seinen Sohn weggibt, der ist törichten Sinnes und muss durch Sühnehandlungen gereinigt werden.

Word by Word

• न्यासाधी: deposit and pledge (entrusted/pledged property)
• न्यासाधी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यास (प्रातिपदिक) + आधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास: ‘न्यासः च आधिः च’ (trust/deposit and pledge/debt)

• कुलवृत्तिम्: family livelihood/means of support
• कुलवृत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘कुलस्य वृत्तिः’

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• निक्षेपम्: a deposit/entrusted property
• निक्षेपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि-क्षिप् (धातु) → निक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘निक्षेप’ = ‘न्यास/अमानत’

• स्त्रीधनम्: a woman’s property (strīdhana)
• स्त्रीधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘स्त्रियाः धनम्’

• सुतम्: son
• सुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

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

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मूढात्मा: a deluded person
• मूढात्मा: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘मूढः आत्मा यस्य/मूढ आत्मा’

• प्रायश्चित्तैः: by expiations/penances
• प्रायश्चित्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण/साधनभाव

• विशुध्यति: becomes purified
• विशुध्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-शुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Householder/pilgrim audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder tempted to donate entrusted goods is warned by a sage; symbolic items—sealed deposit pouch, household granary, and a woman’s jewelry—are shown as protected; the theme culminates in the notion of expiation for transgression.

Characters & Entities

• Strīdhana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma protects trust and dependents; violating fiduciary duty and family obligations is sinful and demands expiation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching frame, but this verse is a dharma-rule, not a tīrtha-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyaścitta (expiation) is prescribed for those who wrongfully give away entrusted or protected property/persons.