Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

आत्मार्थं जीवलोकेस्मिन्को न जीवति मानवः । परं परोपकारार्थं यो जीवति स जीवति

Transliteration

ātmārthaṃ jīvalokesminko na jīvati mānavaḥ | paraṃ paropakārārthaṃ yo jīvati sa jīvati

Translation

या जीवसृष्टीत कोण मनुष्य स्वतःसाठी जगत नाही? पण जो परोपकारासाठी जगतो, तोच खऱ्या अर्थाने जगतो.

Word by Word

• आत्मार्थम्: for one’s own sake
• आत्मार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular; tatpuruṣa: 'for one’s own sake')

• जीव-लोके: in this living world
• जीव-लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular; 'in the world of living beings')

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन (pronoun: locative singular)

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (interrogative pronoun: masculine nominative singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• जीवति: lives
• जीवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (present indicative, 3rd person singular, active)

• मानवः: a human
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine nominative singular)

• परम्: but rather
• परम्: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'but/rather/indeed')

• परोपकारार्थम्: for others’ benefit
• परोपकारार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + उपकार (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular; tatpuruṣa: 'for the purpose of helping others')

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (relative pronoun: masculine nominative singular)

• जीवति: lives
• जीवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (present indicative, 3rd person singular, active)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (correlative pronoun: masculine nominative singular)

• जीवति: truly lives
• जीवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (present indicative, 3rd person singular, active)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within the episode (not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment: a devotee or noble woman speaks a maxim on altruism, with Kāśī’s ghāṭas or a temple courtyard behind; listeners attentive; the goat episode context lingers at the edge.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-centered living is common, but dharma praises a life dedicated to others’ welfare as the highest, truly meaningful life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), where dharma is repeatedly tied to the sanctity of the place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse elevates paropakāra (service/beneficence) as a core dharmic practice.