Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

आत्मार्थं जीवलोकेस्मिन्को न जीवति मानवः । परं परोपकारार्थं यो जीवति स जीवति

Transliteration

ātmārthaṃ jīvalokesminko na jīvati mānavaḥ | paraṃ paropakārārthaṃ yo jīvati sa jīvati

Translation

En este mundo de seres vivos, ¿qué hombre no vive para sí mismo? Pero quien vive para el bien de los demás, ése solo vive de verdad.

Word by Word

• आत्मार्थम्: for one’s own sake
• आत्मार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular; tatpuruṣa: 'for one’s own sake')

• जीव-लोके: in this living world
• जीव-लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular; 'in the world of living beings')

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन (pronoun: locative singular)

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (interrogative pronoun: masculine nominative singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• जीवति: lives
• जीवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (present indicative, 3rd person singular, active)

• मानवः: a human
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine nominative singular)

• परम्: but rather
• परम्: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'but/rather/indeed')

• परोपकारार्थम्: for others’ benefit
• परोपकारार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + उपकार (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular; tatpuruṣa: 'for the purpose of helping others')

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (relative pronoun: masculine nominative singular)

• जीवति: lives
• जीवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (present indicative, 3rd person singular, active)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (correlative pronoun: masculine nominative singular)

• जीवति: truly lives
• जीवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (present indicative, 3rd person singular, active)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within the episode (not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment: a devotee or noble woman speaks a maxim on altruism, with Kāśī’s ghāṭas or a temple courtyard behind; listeners attentive; the goat episode context lingers at the edge.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-centered living is common, but dharma praises a life dedicated to others’ welfare as the highest, truly meaningful life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), where dharma is repeatedly tied to the sanctity of the place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse elevates paropakāra (service/beneficence) as a core dharmic practice.