Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40
Devanagari script
अधर्मिणः समेधंते धनधान्यसमृद्धिभिः । अधर्मादेव च परं समूलं यांत्यधोगतिम्
Transliteration
adharmiṇaḥ samedhaṃte dhanadhānyasamṛddhibhiḥ | adharmādeva ca paraṃ samūlaṃ yāṃtyadhogatim
Translation
Die Unrechtschaffenen mögen an Reichtum und Kornfülle gedeihen; doch durch Adharma allein stürzen sie zuletzt—mit der Wurzel—in ein abwärts führendes Geschick.
Word by Word
अधर्मिणःunrighteous people
अधर्मिणः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअधर्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेष्य-रूपेण (as subject)
समेधन्तेprosper / thrive
समेधन्ते:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + इध् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद
धनwealth
धन:
—
TypeNoun
Rootधन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)
धान्यgrain
धान्य:
—
TypeNoun
Rootधान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)
समृद्धिभिःby prosperities
समृद्धिभिः:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootसमृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन
धनधान्यसमृद्धिभिःby wealth, grain, and prosperity
धनधान्यसमृद्धिभिः:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootधन + धान्य + समृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (समृद्धि-प्रधान), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative)
अधर्मात्from unrighteousness
अधर्मात्:
Apadana (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootअधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन
एवindeed / only
एव:
—
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle), अवधारणार्थक (emphatic)
चand
च:
—
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)
परम्further / thereafter
परम्:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootपर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: 'further/afterwards')
समूलम्with the root (entirely)
समूलम्:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसमूल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: 'root and all')
यान्तिgo
यान्ति:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootया (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
अधोगतिम्downward course / downfall
अधोगतिम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअधस् + गति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भावे (downward-going)
Speaker
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha Mahatmya
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A moral tableau: an unrighteous man amid overflowing granaries and gold, while behind him a shadowy chasm opens—symbolizing inevitable ‘adhogati’.
Characters & Entities
A
AdharmaA
Adhogati (downfall)FAQs
Material success gained through adharma is unstable and ends in total ruin.
No single site is named; the verse functions as universal dharma teaching within the Kāśī narrative.
None.