Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

मंत्रिहीनं यथा राज्यं श्रुतिहीना यथा द्विजाः । योषा हीनं यथा सौख्यं शिवहीना तथा क्रिया

Transliteration

maṃtrihīnaṃ yathā rājyaṃ śrutihīnā yathā dvijāḥ | yoṣā hīnaṃ yathā saukhyaṃ śivahīnā tathā kriyā

Translation

大臣なき国が欠けるように、聖なる学び（シュルティ）なき二度生まれが欠けるように、妻なき幸が欠けるように、シヴァなき行はすべて欠けて不完全である。

Word by Word

• मन्त्रिहीनम्: without ministers
• मन्त्रिहीनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mantrin (प्रातिपदिक) + hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मन्त्रिणा हीनम् = without ministers/counsellor)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• श्रुतिहीना: without śruti (Veda)
• श्रुतिहीना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śruti (प्रातिपदिक) + hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (श्रुत्या हीना = without Vedic learning)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक

• द्विजाः: twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• योषा: woman/wife
• योषा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• हीनम्: devoid (of)
• हीनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (elliptic: योषा-हीनम्)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक

• सौख्यम्: happiness
• सौख्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• शिवहीना: without Śiva
• शिवहीना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शिवेन हीना = without Śiva)

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तद्वत्/एवम्

• क्रिया: ritual action
• क्रिया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three analogies depicted: a king without ministers in a dim court; a dvija without śruti holding an unopened palm-leaf; a household lacking conjugal harmony—then a pilgrim’s rite without Śiva shown as incomplete, contrasted with a bright Śiva shrine completing it.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śruti (Veda)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Just as governance and life require essential supports, religious action requires Śiva as its indispensable foundation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied setting where Śiva’s indispensability (as Viśveśvara) is doctrinally emphasized.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is specified; the instruction is to align all kriyā with Śiva and Vedic (śruti) grounding.