Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

त्रिवर्गसाधनाहेतुः प्राक्प्रजैव महीपतेः । क्षीणवृत्त्यां प्रजायां वै त्रिवर्गः क्षीयते स्वयम्

Transliteration

trivargasādhanāhetuḥ prākprajaiva mahīpateḥ | kṣīṇavṛttyāṃ prajāyāṃ vai trivargaḥ kṣīyate svayam

Translation

മഹീപതിക്ക് ത്രിവർഗസിദ്ധിക്കുള്ള ആദ്യ ഉപായം പ്രജകളാണ്. പ്രജകളുടെ ഉപജീവനം ക്ഷീണിച്ചാൽ ധർമ്മം-അർത്ഥം-കാമം എന്ന ത്രിവർഗം സ്വയം ക്ഷയിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• त्रिवर्गसाधनाहेतुः: the cause/instrument for achieving the three aims
• त्रिवर्गसाधनाहेतुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + वर्ग + साधन + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (त्रिवर्गस्य साधनस्य हेतुः)

• प्राक्: first/primarily
• प्राक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: formerly/first)

• प्रजा: the subjects
• प्रजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/alone
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• महीपतेः: of the king
• महीपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मही + पति)

• क्षीणवृत्त्याम्: when livelihood is diminished
• क्षीणवृत्त्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीण + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (क्षीणा वृत्तिः यस्याः) / विशेषणपूर्वपद-समास; अधिकरण

• प्रजायाम्: in/among the subjects
• प्रजायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• त्रिवर्गः: the three aims (dharma-artha-kāma)
• त्रिवर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयः वर्गाः)

• क्षीयते: diminishes
• क्षीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्षि (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• स्वयम्: by itself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वतन्त्रार्थक अव्यय (adverb: by itself)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king overseeing granaries, irrigation, and fair markets; the three aims depicted symbolically (dharma as scale/scripture, artha as grain/coins, kāma as harmonious family life) all rooted in thriving prajā.

Characters & Entities

• Trivarga (dharma-artha-kāma)
• Prajā (subjects)
• Mahīpati (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma and prosperity rest on protecting livelihoods; societal well-being sustains all legitimate aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a tīrtha-verse; it is a rāja-dharma principle delivered within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it emphasizes policy-level dharma: safeguarding the people’s sustenance.