Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

धर्माभिलाषिबुद्धीनां धर्मराशिकरं परम् । अर्थार्थिनां शिखिरथ परमार्थ प्रकाशकम्

Transliteration

dharmābhilāṣibuddhīnāṃ dharmarāśikaraṃ param | arthārthināṃ śikhiratha paramārtha prakāśakam

Translation

ധർമ്മം ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന ബുദ്ധികൾക്കിത് പരമ പുണ്യരാശി സൃഷ്ടിക്കുന്നതു; ധനം തേടുന്നവർക്ക്, ഹേ ശിഖിരഥ, ഇതു പരമാർത്ഥത്തെ പ്രകാശിപ്പിക്കുന്നതു.

Word by Word

• धर्माभिलाषिबुद्धीनाम्: of those whose intellects desire dharma
• धर्माभिलाषिबुद्धीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अभिलाषिन् + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठीविभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine) — ‘बुद्धि’ प्रधान; समासः: धर्मम् अभिलाषन्तीति (धर्माभिलाषिनी) बुद्धिः, तासाम्

• धर्मराशिकरम्: that which makes a heap/abundance of dharma
• धर्मराशिकरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + राशि + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular) — समासः: धर्मस्य राशिं करोतीति

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• अर्थार्थिनाम्: of those seeking wealth/aims
• अर्थार्थिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठीविभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) — समासः: अर्थम् अर्थयते इति (अर्थार्थी), तेषाम्

• शिखिरथ: O Śikhiratha (name of the addressee)
• शिखिरथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखि + रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधनप्रथमा (Vocative/Address), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) — ‘शिखीव रथः’/‘शिखिनः रथः’ इति नाम; संबोधनम्

• परमार्थ: the highest truth/ultimate aim
• परमार्थ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative/2nd, Singular) — समासः: परमः अर्थः

• प्रकाशकम्: illuminating/revealing
• प्रकाशकम्: Visheshana (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + √काश् (काशते) (धातु) + क (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (Kridanta), ‘प्रकाशक’ (agentive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Agastya (deduced; addressing Skanda in Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (general mahimā; context leading toward Jñānavāpī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śikhiratha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A listener addresses Śikhiratha while extolling Kāśī’s power: dharma-seekers gain heaps of merit; wealth-seekers are led toward the light of paramārtha—Kāśī as a luminous sacred city under Śiva’s unseen guardianship.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Śikhiratha
• Dharma
• Paramārtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī-related sacred teaching grants both worldly merit and the light of the highest spiritual truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, praising Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) and its dharma-bestowing power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; the emphasis is on the transformative fruit of the Kāśī teaching itself.