Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

धनंजयोपि धर्मात्मा मातृभक्तिपरायणः । आदायास्थीन्यथो मातुर्गंगा मार्गस्थितोऽभवत्

Transliteration

dhanaṃjayopi dharmātmā mātṛbhaktiparāyaṇaḥ | ādāyāsthīnyatho māturgaṃgā mārgasthito'bhavat

Translation

ധർമ്മാത്മാവായ ധനഞ്ജയനും മാതൃഭക്തിയിൽ പരായണനായി അമ്മയുടെ അസ്ഥികൾ എടുത്തുകൊണ്ട് ഗംഗാമാർഗ്ഗത്തിലേക്ക് പുറപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• धनंजयः: Dhanaṃjaya (name)
• धनंजयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे (also/even)

• धर्मात्मा: one whose nature is righteous
• धर्मात्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य आत्मा)

• मातृभक्तिपरायणः: devoted to service of (his) mother
• मातृभक्तिपरायणः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मातृ-भक्ति-परायण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मातृभक्तौ परायणः) विशेषणम् धनंजयस्य

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having taken)

• अस्थीनि: bones
• अस्थीनि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse marker (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• मातुः: of (his) mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• गङ्गामार्गस्थितः: standing/being on the road to the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गामार्गस्थितः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गङ्गा-मार्ग-स्थित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (गङ्गायाः मार्गे स्थितः) विशेषणम्

• अभवत्: became, was
• अभवत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī-Gaṅgā implied)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted son, Dhanaṃjaya, carrying a small bundle of his mother’s bones, sets out on the dusty road toward the Gaṅgā; his face shows resolve and tenderness, with pilgrims and distant river imagery suggested.

Characters & Entities

• Dhanaṃjaya
• Gaṅgā
• Mother (mātṛ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving one’s parents and performing post-death duties are upheld as dharma that supports both family and spiritual welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā is explicitly invoked as the sacred destination; in Kāśī-khaṇḍa this ties to Kāśī’s broader sacred river-landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Transporting the deceased’s bones/remains toward the Gaṅgā for sacred rites is implied.