Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

बांधवा विमुखा यांति धर्मो यांतमनु व्रजेत् । अतः संचिनुयाद्धर्म्ममत्राऽमुत्र सहायिनम्

Transliteration

bāṃdhavā vimukhā yāṃti dharmo yāṃtamanu vrajet | ataḥ saṃcinuyāddharmmamatrā'mutra sahāyinam

Translation

ຍາດພີ່ນ້ອງຫັນຫນ້າແລ້ວຈາກໄປ ແຕ່ທຳມະຍ່ອມຕາມຜູ້ທີ່ຈາກໄປ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນຄວນສະສົມທຳມະ ເປັນຜູ້ຊ່ວຍໃນໂລກນີ້ແລະໂລກໜ້າ.

Word by Word

• bāṃdhavāḥ: kinsmen, relatives
• bāṃdhavāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṃdhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural)

• vimukhāḥ: turned away, averse
• vimukhāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vimukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'bāṃdhavāḥ' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• yāṃti: go away
• yāṃti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (या धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• dharmaḥ: dharma, righteousness
• dharmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• yāṃtam: the one who is going
• yāṃtam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yānt (यान्त, √yā धातु से शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गन्तारं जनम् सूचयति

• anu: after, along
• anu: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anu (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preverb/adverb)

• vrajet: should follow/go
• vrajet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (व्रज् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/adverb) हेत्वर्थे

• saṃcinuyāt: should accumulate/collect
• saṃcinuyāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ + ci (चि धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• dharmam: dharma
• dharmam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• atra: here
• atra: Desha-adhikarana (देश-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) देशवाचक

• amutra: there (in the next world)
• amutra: Desha-adhikarana (देश-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: amutra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) देश/कालवाचक

• sahāyinam: as a helper/companion
• sahāyinam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahāyin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'dharmam' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Unspecified (Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa narrative voice; traditionally framed within Sūta’s discourse in Purāṇic setting)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A departing traveler at a cremation ground threshold: relatives stand back with turned faces, while a radiant figure of Dharma walks beside the traveler holding a staff or scripture.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly supports are unreliable at death; dharma alone remains a faithful companion, so one must store merit through righteous living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred geography appears in this verse; it functions as general Purāṇic dharma-instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is to ‘accumulate dharma’—through acts like charity, vows, worship, and ethical conduct (implied by the surrounding context).