Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

धर्मो माता पिता धर्मो धर्मो बन्धुः सुहृत्तथा । आधारः सर्वभूतानां त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे

Transliteration

dharmo mātā pitā dharmo dharmo bandhuḥ suhṛttathā | ādhāraḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ trailokye sacarācare

Translation

धर्म एव माता, धर्म एव पिता; धर्म एव बन्धुः सुहृच्च। स चराचरत्रैलोक्ये सर्वभूतानामाधारः।

Word by Word

• dharmaḥ: Dharma (righteousness/duty)
• dharmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• mātā: mother
• mātā: Predicate nominal (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• pitā: father
• pitā: Predicate nominal (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• dharmaḥ: Dharma
• dharmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dharmaḥ: Dharma
• dharmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bandhuḥ: kinsman/relative
• bandhuḥ: Predicate nominal
• Type: Noun
• Root: bandhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• suhṛt: friend/well-wisher
• suhṛt: Predicate nominal
• Type: Noun
• Root: suhṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); पदान्त-रूपम्: सुहृत्

• tathā: thus/likewise
• tathā: Discourse particle (समुच्चय/उपपद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'thus/also')

• ādhāraḥ: support/foundation
• ādhāraḥ: Predicate nominal
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• sarvabhūtānām: of all beings
• sarvabhūtānām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक); समास: सर्वभूत
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• trailokye: in the three worlds
• trailokye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri + loka (प्रातिपदिक); समास: त्रैलोक्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• sacarācare: with moving and unmoving (beings)
• sacarācare: Adhikarana-viśeṣaṇa (locative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + cara + acara (प्रातिपदिक); समास: सचराचर
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying त्रैलोक्ये)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas (general frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: O king (rājendra) implied in surrounding verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An allegorical tableau: Dharma enthroned as a luminous pillar supporting the three worlds, with beings—gods, humans, animals, trees—resting upon its stability.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Trailokya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is the supreme refuge—more reliable than worldly relations—supporting all life; therefore one should anchor life in righteousness, worship, and restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; in Revā-khaṇḍa it undergirds the praise of Narmadā tīrthas as places that strengthen dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse establishes dharma as the guiding principle behind vows, pilgrimages, and austerities.