Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

न क्लेशेन विना द्रव्यमर्थहीने कुतः क्रियाः । क्रियाहीने कुतो धर्मो धर्महीने कुतः सुखम्

Transliteration

na kleśena vinā dravyamarthahīne kutaḥ kriyāḥ | kriyāhīne kuto dharmo dharmahīne kutaḥ sukham

Translation

कष्टाविना द्रव्य मिळत नाही; साधन नसता क्रिया कशा होतील? क्रिया नसता धर्म कुठे? आणि धर्म नसता सुख कुठे?

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• क्लेशेन: by effort/strain
• क्लेशेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादानार्थक-अव्यय (preposition ‘without’), तृतीया-सहयोगी

• द्रव्यम्: wealth/substance
• द्रव्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अर्थहीने: when (one is) without means
• अर्थहीने: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्थ + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अर्थेन हीनः)

• कुतः: how (can there be)?
• कुतः: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न/निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative ‘whence/how’)

• क्रियाः: actions/rites
• क्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• क्रियाहीने: when actions are absent
• क्रियाहीने: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रिया + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (क्रियया हीनः)

• कुतः: how then?
• कुतः: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न/निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

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

• धर्महीने: when dharma is absent
• धर्महीने: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धर्मेण हीनः)

• कुतः: how (can there be)?
• कुतः: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न/निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequential ‘ladder’ scene: a worker/householder earning honestly, then offering dāna at a ghāṭ, then performing simple Śiva-pūjā, culminating in a serene family/pilgrim experiencing contentment—Kāśī skyline unifying the stages.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained well-being rests on dharma, and dharma is supported by disciplined effort and the capacity to perform right actions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider frame is Kāśī in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; this verse teaches dharma pragmatics rather than praising a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It generally points to kriyā (religious acts/rites) as necessary supports for dharma, without naming a specific rite.