Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

सर्वान्मनोरथांल्लेभे विना स्वर्गैकसाधनम् । गार्हस्थ्याश्रम नेपथ्यं पथ्यं पैतामहं महत्

Transliteration

sarvānmanorathāṃllebhe vinā svargaikasādhanam | gārhasthyāśrama nepathyaṃ pathyaṃ paitāmahaṃ mahat

Translation

சுவர்க்கத்திற்கான ஒரே சாதனத்தைத் தவிர, அவன் விரும்பிய அனைத்தையும் பெற்றான். முன்னோர்கள் வழங்கிய மகத்தான, நலமளிக்கும் கிருஹஸ்தாஶ்ரமத்தின் ஒழுக்கநெறியும் வாழ்வுமுறையும் அவன் ஏற்றுக்கொண்டான்.

Word by Word

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; मनोरथान् इत्यस्य विशेषण

• मनोरथान्: desires, wishes
• मनोरथान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनोरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—मनस् + रथ (तत्पुरुषः)

• लेभे: obtained
• लेभे: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश-अव्यय/निषेधार्थक (preposition-like indeclinable: without)

• स्वर्गैकसाधनम्: the sole means to heaven
• स्वर्गैकसाधनम्: Karma (Excluded object with विना/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग + एक + साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—स्वर्गस्य एकं साधनम् (तत्पुरुषः)

• गार्हस्थ्याश्रमम्: the householder stage
• गार्हस्थ्याश्रमम्: Karma (Object—implied with ‘accepted/undertook’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्हस्थ्य + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—गार्हस्थ्यस्य आश्रमः (तत्पुरुषः)

• नेपथ्यम्: attire, equipment (metaph. regimen)
• नेपथ्यम्: Karma (Apposition to गार्हस्थ्याश्रमम्/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेपथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; रूपक-प्रयोगः ‘attire/equipment’

• पथ्यम्: wholesome, proper
• पथ्यम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नेपथ्यम् इत्यस्य विशेषण

• पैतामहम्: ancestral, of the forefathers
• पैतामहम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पैतामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नेपथ्यम् इत्यस्य विशेषण (‘ancestral’)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नेपथ्यम् इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Primary interlocutor(s) of Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pūrṇabhadra adopts the marks of a disciplined householder—clean garments, sacred thread, calm posture—performing daily rites with fire and offerings, while worldly luxuries recede to the background.

Characters & Entities

• Gārhasthya-āśrama
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma honors the gṛhastha path as a venerable, tradition-rooted discipline—yet reminds that higher spiritual means may still be required.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named in this verse; it provides ethical-āśrama context within the chapter’s Kāśī-centered narrative arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse generally points to gṛhastha observances (āśrama-nepathya, proper discipline), without listing a specific rite.