Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

यद्यप्यसौ धराधीशो व्याधिनोद्दुर्धराध्वरैः । तानध्वरभुजोऽत्यंतं तथापि सुहृदो न ते

Transliteration

yadyapyasau dharādhīśo vyādhinoddurdharādhvaraiḥ | tānadhvarabhujo'tyaṃtaṃ tathāpi suhṛdo na te

Translation

Although that lord of the earth was assailed by grievous afflictions brought on by arduous sacrificial rites, those “eaters of sacrifices” were still not his true well-wishers.

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Discourse particle (शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (if)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक अव्यय (even/also)

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'that (person)'

• धराधीशः: the lord of the earth
• धराधीशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा-अधीश (प्रातिपदिक); घटकाः: धरा + अधीश
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'धरायाः अधीशः' (lord of the earth)

• व्याधिना: by disease
• व्याधिना: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु—'by/with disease'

• उत्: up/out (intensifier)
• उत्: Preverb (उपसर्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: उपसर्ग (preverb) — √दृ/√धृ-आदि धातोः पूर्वं; अत्र 'उद्' रूपेण संधि

• दुर्धराध्वरैः: by hard-to-endure ordeals (rites)
• दुर्धराध्वरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्धर-अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक); घटकाः: दुर्धर + अध्वर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः—'दुर्धराः अध्वराः' (hard-to-bear rites/ordeals)

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; 'those'

• अध्वरभुजः: the consumers of sacrifices
• अध्वरभुजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वर-भुज् (प्रातिपदिक); घटकाः: अध्वर + भुज्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'अध्वरं भुञ्जते' (eaters/consumers of sacrifices; i.e., gods)

• अत्यन्तम्: utterly
• अत्यन्तम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्यन्तम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — 'excessively/utterly'

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (thus/so)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपवाद/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (even/also)

• सुहृदः: friends
• सुहृदः: Karta (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुहृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; 'friends/well-wishers'

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• ते: your
• ते: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; 'of you/your' (enclitic te)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni/interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king weakened by ailments after arduous sacrifices; priests/devas receiving offerings while the king appears isolated—highlighting the gap between ritual exchange and true friendship.

Characters & Entities

• Dharādhīśa (king)
• Adhvarabhujaḥ (Devas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual exchange alone does not guarantee goodwill; discernment about true allies is part of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains Kāśī-kṣetra, but no particular tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sacrificial rites (adhvara/yajña) are referenced, but no specific injunction is given.