Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

महीयसायुषा तेषां वसुभिर्भूरिभिश्च किम् । येऽभिमानधनानेह लब्धरीढाः पदेपदे

Transliteration

mahīyasāyuṣā teṣāṃ vasubhirbhūribhiśca kim | ye'bhimānadhanāneha labdharīḍhāḥ padepade

Translation

À quoi leur sert une longue vie, ou des richesses en abondance ? Ceux dont l’unique ‘bien’ est l’orgueil—même s’ils trouvent un appui à chaque pas—demeurent vides en leur essence.

Word by Word

• mahīyasā: with greater
• mahīyasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahīyas (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनात्मक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्/पुंलिङ्गम्, तृतीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (comparative: greater)

• āyuṣā: lifespan
• āyuṣā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, तृतीया, एकवचनम्

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्

• vasubhiḥ: with riches
• vasubhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्

• bhūribhiḥ: abundant
• bhūribhiḥ: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhūri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (agreeing with वसुभिः)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• kim: what (use)
• kim: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययप्रयोगः (what use?)

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धसूचकः (relative pronoun: those who)

• abhimāna-dhanāḥ: whose wealth is pride
• abhimāna-dhanāḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhimāna (प्रातिपदिक) + dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः (अभिमानो धनं येषां / whose wealth is pride)

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here/in this world)

• labdha-rīḍhāḥ: having incurred insult
• labdha-rīḍhāḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: labdha (कृदन्त; √labh) + rīḍhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (लब्धा रीड्ढा येषां / having obtained insult)

• pade: at a step
• pade: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; (in each step—paired with repetition)

• pade: at every step
• pade: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; पुनरुक्ति (pade pade = at every step)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm: Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic contrast: a proud wealthy figure surrounded by attendants and treasures yet shown hollow (a faint empty silhouette), while a humble pilgrim with minimal possessions is radiant. In the background, Kāśī’s ghāṭas and a cremation ground remind of impermanence.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Longevity and wealth are hollow when pride is the real ‘treasure’; spiritual grounding, not ego, gives life meaning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s devotional ethos is implied—valuing surrender to Śiva over pride and possessions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicit; the implied discipline is humility and devotion rather than ego-based religiosity.