Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच । गृहं परिग्रहः पुंसां गृहस्थाश्रमधर्मिणाम् । इहलोके परे चैव सुखं यच्छति शाश्वतम्

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | gṛhaṃ parigrahaḥ puṃsāṃ gṛhasthāśramadharmiṇām | ihaloke pare caiva sukhaṃ yacchati śāśvatam

Translation

Vyāsa dit : Pour les hommes voués au dharma de l’āśrama du maître de maison, le foyer et les possessions légitimes sont des soutiens appropriés ; ils accordent une félicité durable en ce monde et dans l’au-delà.

Word by Word

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गृहम्: house; household
• गृहम्: Karta / Predicate-noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• परिग्रहः: possession; acquisition
• परिग्रहः: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• गृहस्थ-आश्रम-धर्मिणाम्: of those who follow the householder-āśrama dharma
• गृहस्थ-आश्रम-धर्मिणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गृहस्थाश्रमे धर्मः येषाम्)

• इह-लोके: in this world
• इह-लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इह (अव्यय) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (इह = 'here' + लोक)

• परे: in the other (world)
• परे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; 'परे लोके' इत्यर्थे

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यच्छति: gives; bestows
• यच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शाश्वतम्: eternal
• शाश्वतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (सुखम्)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa teaches a balanced ideal: a dignified household with a modest store of grains, cows, and a ritual fire; the home is shown as a hub of giving—feeding guests and supporting rites—radiating calm prosperity.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• gṛhastha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When aligned with dharma, household life and its supports can be legitimate means for welfare here and hereafter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it offers āśrama-dharma guidance within a tīrtha-māhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse frames the general dharma of the gṛhastha as beneficial.