Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

गृहं धर्मार्थकामानां कारणं देव संमतम् । तदास्थायाश्रमं पुण्यं मां श्रेयसि नियोजय

Transliteration

gṛhaṃ dharmārthakāmānāṃ kāraṇaṃ deva saṃmatam | tadāsthāyāśramaṃ puṇyaṃ māṃ śreyasi niyojaya

Translation

Wahai Dewa, kehidupan berumah tangga diakui oleh Tuhan sebagai sebab bagi dharma, artha dan kāma. Maka, dengan menegakkan āśrama yang suci itu, tempatkanlah aku pada jalan menuju śreyas yang tertinggi.

Word by Word

• गृहम्: house; household life
• गृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• धर्मार्थकामानाम्: of dharma, artha and kāma
• धर्मार्थकामानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अर्थ + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Gen.), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (dharmāḥ ca arthāḥ ca kāmāḥ ca)

• कारणम्: cause; means
• कारणम्: Pradhana-predicative (Predicate noun/विशेष्य-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• देव: O god; O lord
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Voc.), एकवचन

• संमतम्: approved; accepted
• संमतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + मन् (धातु) → संमत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc.), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आस्थाय: having resorted to; having adopted
• आस्थाय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• आश्रमम्: āśrama; stage of life
• आश्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc.), एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: holy; meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषण

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc.), एकवचन

• श्रेयसि: in the highest good; in welfare
• श्रेयसि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Loc.), एकवचन

• नियोजय: appoint; engage; direct
• नियोजय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + युज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śrī (Lakṣmī/Śrī-devī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene domestic āśrama: a householder couple before a small altar, offering water and lamps, with scriptures and guests at the threshold—symbolizing dharma, artha, kāma aligned to śreyas.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• Deva (Nārāyaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The gṛhastha-āśrama is honored as a legitimate, dharmic path supporting the puruṣārthas, ultimately to be oriented toward śreyas (the highest good).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No direct tirtha reference in this verse; it supports the chapter’s broader sacred-geography narrative around the Revā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual; it affirms āśrama-dharma (householder discipline) as a sanctified framework.