Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

अंत्यजा अपि ये केचिद्दयाधर्मानुसारिणः । परोपकृतिनिष्ठास्ते वसंत्यत्र तु सत्तमाः

Transliteration

aṃtyajā api ye keciddayādharmānusāriṇaḥ | paropakṛtiniṣṭhāste vasaṃtyatra tu sattamāḥ

Translation

Même ceux qui sont nés dans les conditions les plus basses, s’ils suivent le dharma de la compassion et demeurent fermes dans le service d’autrui, résident ici comme les meilleurs parmi les justes.

Word by Word

• अन्त्यजाः: outcastes, people of the lowest group
• अन्त्यजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त्यज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार-अव्यय (even/also)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम

• दयाधर्मानुसारिणः: following the dharma of compassion
• दयाधर्मानुसारिणः: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दया + धर्म + अनुसारिन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दयाधर्मम् अनुसरन्ति ये)

• परोपकृतिनिष्ठाः: devoted to helping others
• परोपकृतिनिष्ठाः: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर + उपकृति + निष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (परोपकृतौ निष्ठा येषाम्)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• वसन्ति: live, dwell
• वसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Contrast/विरोध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषण-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• सत्तमाः: the best of the good
• सत्तमाः: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् + तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तमप्-प्रत्ययान्त (superlative)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate community scene in Kāśī: people of varied social backgrounds offering water, food, and care to travelers and the needy; the ‘antyaja’ helper is shown radiant, honored by saints.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate conduct and service to others are higher than social status and make one truly noble.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, as a sanctifying realm where virtue is honored above birth.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; it prescribes paropakāra (helping others) as a key religious practice.