Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

धर्म एव सहायी स्यादमुत्र न परिच्छदः । पितृ मातृ सुत भ्रातृ योषिद्बंधुजनादिकः

Transliteration

dharma eva sahāyī syādamutra na paricchadaḥ | pitṛ mātṛ suta bhrātṛ yoṣidbaṃdhujanādikaḥ

Translation

పరలోకంలో ధర్మమే సహాయకుడు; సంపదలు, వస్తువులు కాదు. అక్కడ తండ్రి, తల్లి, కుమారుడు, సోదరుడు, భార్య, బంధువులు—ఎవరూ తోడు రారు।

Word by Word

• dharmaḥ: dharma
• dharmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• eva: alone/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), emphasis

• sahāyī: helper, companion
• sahāyī: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahāyin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; predicate noun

• syāt: would be
• syāt: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada

• amutra: there (hereafter)
• amutra: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: amutra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), place; ‘there (in the other world)’

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• paricchadaḥ: retinue, possessions
• paricchadaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paricchada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘retinue/equipment/attendants’

• pitṛ: father
• pitṛ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (ऋ-प्रातिपदिक); ‘father’ (as class item)

• mātṛ: mother
• mātṛ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (ऋ-प्रातिपदिक); ‘mother’

• sutaḥ: son
• sutaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• bhrātṛ: brother
• bhrātṛ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (ऋ-प्रातिपदिक); ‘brother’

• yoṣit: wife, woman
• yoṣit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoṣit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘wife/woman’

• bandhu-jana-ādikaḥ: relatives and others
• bandhu-jana-ādikaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bandhu (प्रातिपदिक) + jana (प्रातिपदिक) + ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समाहार/निर्देशार्थ तत्पुरुष: ‘kinsmen’ + ‘people’ + ‘etc.’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśī pilgrims/seekers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands at a cremation ghat (Manikarnika-like setting) watching funeral rites; behind him faint silhouettes of family and possessions fade, while a luminous scroll labeled ‘dharma’ remains near his heart; the Gaṅgā flows steadily.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Only dharma accompanies the soul after death; worldly ties and possessions cannot cross over.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is delivered in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa setting, aligning detachment with Kāśī’s liberation-oriented ethos.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse prescribes a mindset of detachment and reliance on dharma.