Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

परलोकस्त्वयं लोको जीयते भार्यया द्वयम् । देवपित्रतिथीज्यादि नाभार्यः कर्म चार्हति

Transliteration

paralokastvayaṃ loko jīyate bhāryayā dvayam | devapitratithījyādi nābhāryaḥ karma cārhati

Translation

Ce monde et l’au-delà se gagnent véritablement par l’épouse. Sans épouse, nul n’est digne d’accomplir les rites : culte aux devas, offrandes aux ancêtres et accueil honoré des hôtes.

Word by Word

• para-lokaḥ: the other world
• para-lokaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (पर प्रातिपदिक) + loka (लोक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (परः लोकः)

• tu: and / indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (तु अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विशेष/विरोधार्थक

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (this)

• lokaḥ: world
• lokaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (लोक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; (apposition to ayam)

• jīyate: is lived / is sustained
• jīyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jī (जी धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is lived/maintained)

• bhāryayā: by the wife
• bhāryayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (भार्या प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचनम्

• dvayam: both (worlds)
• dvayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi (द्वि संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; संख्यावाचक (a pair/both)

• deva-pitṛ-atithi-ijyādi: worship of gods, ancestors, guests, etc.
• deva-pitṛ-atithi-ijyādi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (देव) + pitṛ (पितृ) + atithi (अतिथि) + ijyā (इज्या) + ādi (आदि अव्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; द्वन्द्व-समासः (देवाः पितरः अतिथयः इज्या च) + ‘आदि’ (etc.)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (न अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• a-bhāryaḥ: one without a wife
• a-bhāryaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- (अ- नञ्) + bhārya (भार्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचनम्; नञ्-तत्पुरुष/नञ्-समासः (भāryā-रहितः)

• karma: rite / act
• karma: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (कर्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• arhati: is entitled / deserves
• arhati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arh (अर्ह् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gṛhastha couple performs threefold duties: offering flowers to a deity, making a pitṛ-offering near water, and welcoming a guest with food—showing that rites are complete through the wife’s partnership.

Characters & Entities

• Deva
• Pitṛ (ancestors)
• Atithi (guest)
• Gṛhastha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householder life is a dharmic institution: worldly welfare and otherworldly merit are linked to righteous domestic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting, though the verse itself focuses on gṛhastha-ritual dharma rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references deva-worship, pitṛ-offerings, and atithi-honor as key household rites (ijyā-ādi).