Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

यद्यप्यसौ धराधीशो व्याधिनोद्दुर्धराध्वरैः । तानध्वरभुजोऽत्यंतं तथापि सुहृदो न ते

Transliteration

yadyapyasau dharādhīśo vyādhinoddurdharādhvaraiḥ | tānadhvarabhujo'tyaṃtaṃ tathāpi suhṛdo na te

Translation

जरी तो धराधीश कठीण यज्ञकर्मांमुळे उत्पन्न झालेल्या घोर व्याधींनी ग्रस्त होता, तरीही ते ‘अध्वरभोजी’ देव त्याचे खरे हितचिंतक नव्हते।

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Discourse particle (शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (if)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक अव्यय (even/also)

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'that (person)'

• धराधीशः: the lord of the earth
• धराधीशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा-अधीश (प्रातिपदिक); घटकाः: धरा + अधीश
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'धरायाः अधीशः' (lord of the earth)

• व्याधिना: by disease
• व्याधिना: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु—'by/with disease'

• उत्: up/out (intensifier)
• उत्: Preverb (उपसर्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: उपसर्ग (preverb) — √दृ/√धृ-आदि धातोः पूर्वं; अत्र 'उद्' रूपेण संधि

• दुर्धराध्वरैः: by hard-to-endure ordeals (rites)
• दुर्धराध्वरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्धर-अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक); घटकाः: दुर्धर + अध्वर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः—'दुर्धराः अध्वराः' (hard-to-bear rites/ordeals)

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; 'those'

• अध्वरभुजः: the consumers of sacrifices
• अध्वरभुजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वर-भुज् (प्रातिपदिक); घटकाः: अध्वर + भुज्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'अध्वरं भुञ्जते' (eaters/consumers of sacrifices; i.e., gods)

• अत्यन्तम्: utterly
• अत्यन्तम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्यन्तम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — 'excessively/utterly'

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (thus/so)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपवाद/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (even/also)

• सुहृदः: friends
• सुहृदः: Karta (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुहृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; 'friends/well-wishers'

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• ते: your
• ते: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; 'of you/your' (enclitic te)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni/interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king weakened by ailments after arduous sacrifices; priests/devas receiving offerings while the king appears isolated—highlighting the gap between ritual exchange and true friendship.

Characters & Entities

• Dharādhīśa (king)
• Adhvarabhujaḥ (Devas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual exchange alone does not guarantee goodwill; discernment about true allies is part of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains Kāśī-kṣetra, but no particular tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sacrificial rites (adhvara/yajña) are referenced, but no specific injunction is given.