Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

गोभिर्विप्रश्च वेदैश्च सतीभिः सत्यवादिभिः । अलुब्धैर्दा नशीलैश्च सप्तभिर्धार्यते मही

Transliteration

gobhirvipraśca vedaiśca satībhiḥ satyavādibhiḥ | alubdhairdā naśīlaiśca saptabhirdhāryate mahī

Translation

La terre est portée par sept: les vaches, les brāhmaṇa, les Veda, les femmes chastes, les véridiques, les non-avid es, et ceux voués au don.

Word by Word

• गोभिः: by/with cows
• गोभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd case), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• विप्रैः: by/with Brahmins
• विप्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd case), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• वेदैः: by/with the Vedas
• वेदैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd case), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• सतीभिः: by/with virtuous women
• सतीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd case), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• सत्यवादिभिः: by/with truth-speakers
• सत्यवादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्यवादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd case), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• अलुब्धैः: by/with the non-greedy
• अलुब्धैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलुब्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd case), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; विशेषण (qualifying the agents/instruments)

• दानशीलैः: by/with the charitable-natured
• दानशीलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान + शील (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd case), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; दानस्य शीलं यस्य (habit of giving)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• सप्तभिः: by/with seven (kinds)
• सप्तभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd case), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective)

• धार्यते: is sustained/borne
• धार्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present passive, 3rd sg

• मही: the earth
• मही: Karma (Patient in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st case), एकवचन — Nominative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: the Earth (Bhū-devī) steadied by seven luminous pillars—cow with calf, a brāhmaṇa with yajñopavīta, a Veda manuscript, a chaste woman with lamp, a truth-speaker with raised hand in oath, an ascetic rejecting gold, and a donor offering gifts—set against Kāśī’s ghāṭs and Viśvanātha spire.

Characters & Entities

• Cows
• Brāhmaṇas
• Vedas
• Satī
• Satya
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic stability is tied to dharmic pillars—cow-care, Vedic integrity, truth, chastity, non-greed, and charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Kāśī is supported as a dharma-center where these pillars are taught and practiced.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is prescribed; the verse prescribes a dharmic lifestyle grounded in truth, generosity, and non-greed, including cow-protection.