Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

वयं पांथा अनाथाः स्मो विश्वनाथपरायणाः । सनाथास्ते न दूरं सनाथतां पथिकोऽपरः

Transliteration

vayaṃ pāṃthā anāthāḥ smo viśvanāthaparāyaṇāḥ | sanāthāste na dūraṃ sanāthatāṃ pathiko'paraḥ

Translation

ഞങ്ങൾ പഥികർ, അനാഥർ; എങ്കിലും വിശ്വനാഥനിൽ ശരണാഗതരാണ്. രക്ഷകനുള്ളവർ സുരക്ഷയിൽ നിന്ന് ദൂരമല്ല; ഞങ്ങളോടൊപ്പം മറ്റൊരു യാത്രക്കാരനും സനാഥനാകും.

Word by Word

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), बहुवचन (plural), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case)

• पांथाः: travellers
• पांथाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पांथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), बहुवचन (plural), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case)

• अनाथाः: without a protector
• अनाथाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), बहुवचन (plural), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case); विशेषण (adjective) to पांथाः

• स्मः: are
• स्मः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (plural)

• विश्वनाथपरायणाः: devoted to Viśvanātha
• विश्वनाथपरायणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्वनाथ + परायण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), बहुवचन (plural), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case); विशेषण (adjective) to वयम्/पांथाः; ‘विश्वनाथे परायणाः’ (devoted to Viśvanātha)

• सनाथाः: with a protector
• सनाथाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), बहुवचन (plural), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case); विशेषण (adjective)

• ते: they / those (people)
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), बहुवचन (plural), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• दूरम्: far
• दूरम्: Desha/Adhikarana (Locative sense/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative/avyayībhāva usage)

• सनाथताम्: protected state / having a protector
• सनाथताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनाथता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), एकवचन (singular), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative, 2nd case); भाववाचक (abstract noun)

• पथिकः: a traveller
• पथिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case)

• अपरः: another
• अपरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case); विशेषण (adjective) to पथिकः

Speaker

Kārpaṭikāḥ (the travelers/mendicants)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta/Kāśī (Viśvanātha-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small group of weary pilgrims on a forest road near Kāśī speak of their lack of worldly protectors yet firm devotion to Viśvanātha; their faces show calm confidence despite danger.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvanātha
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Viśvanātha is presented as true refuge; divine guardianship is the real protection for pilgrims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī through Viśvanātha (the presiding Śiva of Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied practice is śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) in Viśvanātha.