Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

स्त्रीधनान्युपजीवंति ये मोहादिह बांधवाः । न केवलं निरयगास्तेषामपि हि पूर्वजाः

Transliteration

strīdhanānyupajīvaṃti ye mohādiha bāṃdhavāḥ | na kevalaṃ nirayagāsteṣāmapi hi pūrvajāḥ

Translation

ญาติทั้งหลายที่หลงมัวเมาแล้วเลี้ยงชีพด้วยการบริโภคทรัพย์ของสตรี (สตรีธนะ) ย่อมไปสู่นรก มิใช่เพียงเขาเท่านั้น แม้บรรพชนของเขาก็ถูกฉุดให้ตกต่ำด้วย

Word by Word

• स्त्रीधनानि: women's wealth (strīdhana)
• स्त्रीधनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्त्रियाः धनम्)

• उपजीवन्ति: live off
• उपजीवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• मोहात्: out of delusion
• मोहात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (5th/Ablative), एकवचनम्

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place: here/in this world)

• बान्धवाः: relatives/kinsmen
• बान्धवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम्

• केवलम्: only/merely
• केवलम्: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तम्; अव्यय-विशेषणम् (only/merely)

• निरयगाः: hell-bound/going to hell
• निरयगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरय (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; गम् धातोः)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘तेषाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेष्ये (पूर्वजाः) वा सामान्यवचनम्

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), बहुवचनम्

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (also/even)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphatic particle/indeed)

• पूर्वजाः: ancestors/forefathers
• पूर्वजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/seekers (context-dependent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A household scene: a woman’s jewelry chest labeled ‘strīdhana’ is being taken by greedy relatives; behind them appears a shadow of ancestors being pulled downward, while a sage points to dharma texts.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī (implied context)
• Strīdhana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Misappropriating strīdhana is a serious adharma that harms not only the perpetrator but also the family’s spiritual standing across generations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the setting (Kāśīkhaṇḍa), where dharma is taught as integral to the city’s sacred life and liberation-oriented culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse gives a moral prohibition: relatives must not live off a woman’s strīdhana.