Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

मातापितृविहीनं यो मौंजीपाणिग्रहादिभिः । संस्कारयेन्निजैरर्थैस्तस्य श्रेयस्त्वनंतकम्

Transliteration

mātāpitṛvihīnaṃ yo mauṃjīpāṇigrahādibhiḥ | saṃskārayennijairarthaistasya śreyastvanaṃtakam

Translation

जो आपल्या धनाने मातापित्याविना असलेल्या व्यक्तीचे मौंजी (उपनयन), पाणिग्रहण (विवाह) इत्यादी संस्कार करवितो, त्याचे श्रेय अनंत होते.

Word by Word

• mātā-pitṛ-vihīnam: one deprived of mother and father
• mātā-pitṛ-vihīnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + vihīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मातापितृभ्यां विहीनः)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• mauṃjī-pāṇigraha-ādibhiḥ: by rites such as investiture with the sacred girdle and marriage
• mauṃjī-pāṇigraha-ādibhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mauṃjī (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṇigraha (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मौञ्जी च पाणिग्रहः च इत्यादयः)

• saṃskārayet: should perform the sacraments for
• saṃskārayet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√kṛ (सं + कृ धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense not intended; ‘संस्कारं कुर्यात्’

• nijaiḥ: with one’s own
• nijaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘अर्थैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• arthaiḥ: resources/wealth
• arthaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• tasya: for him/of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• śreyaḥ: spiritual merit/welfare
• śreyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• anantakam: endless
• anantakam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anantaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘श्रेयः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A benefactor arranges an upanayana for an orphan: the boy receives the yajñopavīta and staff; later a marriage rite scene—both suffused with sacred light, showing society restoring dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Enabling another’s dharmic life-cycle rites—especially for the unsupported—is a supremely meritorious form of giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharma teaching; it reflects the Kāśī Māhātmya spirit where righteous acts gain heightened sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To sponsor saṃskāras like mauñjī (upanayana) and pāṇigraha (marriage) for those lacking parental support.