Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

व्रतैः संशोधिते देहे धर्मो वसति निश्चलः । अर्थकामौ सनिर्वाणौ तत्र यत्र वृष स्थितिः

Transliteration

vrataiḥ saṃśodhite dehe dharmo vasati niścalaḥ | arthakāmau sanirvāṇau tatra yatra vṛṣa sthitiḥ

Translation

விரதங்களால் சுத்திகரிக்கப்பட்ட உடலில் தர்மம் அசையாமல் தங்கும்; தர்மரூப வृषபம் நிலைபெற்ற இடத்தில் அர்த்தம், காமம், மேலும் நிர்வாணம் (மோட்சம்) கூட உண்டு.

Word by Word

• vrataiḥ: by vows
• vrataiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• saṃśodhite: in (the) purified
• saṃśodhite: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-śudh (धातु) → saṃśodhita (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘संशोधित’ = purified; ‘देहे’ इति विशेषणम्

• dehe: in the body
• dehe: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

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

• vasati: dwells
• vasati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vas (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• niścalaḥ: steadfast, unmoving
• niścalaḥ: Predicate (Attribute/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niścala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (dharmaḥ)

• arthakāmau: artha and kāma
• arthakāmau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वः—अर्थश्च कामश्च

• sanirvāṇau: together with liberation
• sanirvāṇau: Predicate (Attribute/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa- (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + nirvāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः/बहुव्रीहिवत् प्रयोगः—‘निर्वाणसहितौ’ (together with liberation) विशेषणम् (arthakāmau)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक/देशवाचक (relative locative adverb)

• vṛṣaḥ: Dharma (as the bull)
• vṛṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘वृष’ = धर्म (धर्मरूपः वृषः)

• sthitiḥ: abiding, presence
• sthitiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Allegorical tableau: Dharma as a white bull standing firm on a purified platform; around it, personified Artha and Kāma approach respectfully, while Mokṣa/Nirvāṇa appears as a radiant, calm presence above Kāśī’s skyline.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Dharma (Vṛṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vrata purifies the person so Dharma becomes stable, and the full aims of life—including liberation—become attainable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse states a universal principle used to frame Kāśī’s vrata-centered māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

General vrata-observance as the means to purify the body and establish Dharma.