Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

नित्यादिकर्मकरणात्तथातिथिसमर्चनैः । परोपकरणाद्यैश्च धर्मस्स्यादुत्तरोत्तरः

Transliteration

nityādikarmakaraṇāttathātithisamarcanaiḥ | paropakaraṇādyaiśca dharmassyāduttarottaraḥ

Translation

നിത്യ-നൈമിത്തിക കർമ്മങ്ങൾ അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുക, അതിഥികളെ യഥാവിധി ആദരിക്കുക, പരോപകാരാദി സേവകൾ ചെയ്യുക—ഇവയാൽ കാശിയിൽ വസിക്കുന്നവരുടെ ധർമ്മം ക്രമേണ വർദ്ധിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• नित्यादिकर्मकरणात्: from performing daily and other rites
• नित्यादिकर्मकरणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नित्य + आदि + कर्म + करण (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (हेतु), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (नित्यादि कर्म; तस्य करणम्)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (likewise/also)

• अतिथिसमर्चनैः: by honoring guests
• अतिथिसमर्चनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि + समर्चन (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अतिथेः समर्चनम्)

• परोपकरणाद्यैः: by helping others and the like
• परोपकरणाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + उपकार + आदि (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (परस्य उपकारः) + आदि-समाहार (etc.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• धर्मः: dharma/merit
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्यात्: would become / arises
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (potential/optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• उत्तरोत्तरः: increasing more and more
• उत्तरोत्तरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; कर्मधारय/पुनरुक्ति (क्रमेण अधिकाधिकः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as residence-dharma field)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī resident performs morning rites, then welcomes a pilgrim-guest with water and food; nearby, acts of service—guiding elders on ghāṭ steps, offering lamps, helping the poor—depict dharma increasing through community care.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Atithi (guest)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, ordinary righteous conduct—duties, hospitality, and service—compounds into ever-increasing dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as a whole kṣetra, where ethical living itself becomes highly meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nitya/naimittika duties, honoring guests (atithi-samarcana), and helping others (paropakāra).