Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

गृहं धर्मार्थकामानां कारणं देव संमतम् । तदास्थायाश्रमं पुण्यं मां श्रेयसि नियोजय

Transliteration

gṛhaṃ dharmārthakāmānāṃ kāraṇaṃ deva saṃmatam | tadāsthāyāśramaṃ puṇyaṃ māṃ śreyasi niyojaya

Translation

La demeure familiale est reconnue par le Seigneur comme source de dharma, d’artha et de kāma. Aussi, en établissant ce saint āśrama, assigne-moi à ce qui mène au Bien suprême.

Word by Word

• गृहम्: house; household life
• गृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• धर्मार्थकामानाम्: of dharma, artha and kāma
• धर्मार्थकामानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अर्थ + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Gen.), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (dharmāḥ ca arthāḥ ca kāmāḥ ca)

• कारणम्: cause; means
• कारणम्: Pradhana-predicative (Predicate noun/विशेष्य-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• देव: O god; O lord
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Voc.), एकवचन

• संमतम्: approved; accepted
• संमतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + मन् (धातु) → संमत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc.), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आस्थाय: having resorted to; having adopted
• आस्थाय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• आश्रमम्: āśrama; stage of life
• आश्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc.), एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: holy; meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषण

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc.), एकवचन

• श्रेयसि: in the highest good; in welfare
• श्रेयसि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Loc.), एकवचन

• नियोजय: appoint; engage; direct
• नियोजय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + युज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śrī (Lakṣmī/Śrī-devī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene domestic āśrama: a householder couple before a small altar, offering water and lamps, with scriptures and guests at the threshold—symbolizing dharma, artha, kāma aligned to śreyas.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• Deva (Nārāyaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The gṛhastha-āśrama is honored as a legitimate, dharmic path supporting the puruṣārthas, ultimately to be oriented toward śreyas (the highest good).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No direct tirtha reference in this verse; it supports the chapter’s broader sacred-geography narrative around the Revā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual; it affirms āśrama-dharma (householder discipline) as a sanctified framework.