Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

प्रभूरुष्टोपि सद्भृत्ये जीविकामात्रहारकः । काशीहरेत्कराद्भ्रष्टा पुरुषार्थचतुष्टयम्

Transliteration

prabhūruṣṭopi sadbhṛtye jīvikāmātrahārakaḥ | kāśīharetkarādbhraṣṭā puruṣārthacatuṣṭayam

Translation

യജമാനൻ സദ്ഭൃത്യനോട് കോപിച്ചാലും അവന്റെ ജീവിക മാത്രമേ ഹരിക്കൂ; എന്നാൽ കാശിയിൽ നിന്ന് വഴുതിയവന്റെ കൈയിൽ നിന്ന് കാശി തന്നേ ധർമ്മം, അർത്ഥം, കാമം, മോക്ഷം എന്ന നാലു പുരുഷാർത്ഥങ്ങളും കവർന്നെടുക്കും.

Word by Word

• प्रभुः: master, lord
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• रुष्टः: angry
• रुष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुष्ट (कृदन्त; √रुष् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे (past participle)

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

• सद्भृत्ये: in/with a good servant
• सद्भृत्ये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सद्भृत्य (प्रातिपदिक; सत् + भृत्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘सत्’ (good) + ‘भृत्य’ (servant)

• जीविका: livelihood
• जीविका: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीविका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• मात्र: only, mere
• मात्र: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मात्र (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्ययार्थक-विशेषण ‘only/merely’ (समासपूर्वपद)

• हारकः: one who takes away
• हारकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हारक (प्रातिपदिक; √हृ (धातु) + ण्वुल्/अक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रत्ययान्त ‘one who takes away’

• काशी: Kāśī
• काशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• हरेत्: should take away
• हरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• करात्: from the hand
• करात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• भ्रष्टा: fallen away, lost
• भ्रष्टा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रष्ट (कृदन्त; √भ्रंश् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘fallen/removed’

• पुरुषार्थचतुष्टयम्: the four aims of life
• पुरुषार्थचतुष्टयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषार्थ + चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘पुरुषार्थाणां चतुष्टयम्’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: a worldly master angrily dismisses a loyal servant (taking only wages), contrasted with the cosmic personification of Kāśī withdrawing the four puruṣārthas from a heedless pilgrim’s hands; the city’s ghāṭs and Viśveśvara’s aura loom behind.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Puruṣārtha-catuṣṭaya (dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as the support of all four aims of life; abandoning it is portrayed as forfeiting comprehensive human flourishing, culminating in mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised as the giver and guardian of the four puruṣārthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; the verse gives a strong exhortation to remain devoted to Kāśī.