Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचारी गृहस्थो वा वानप्रस्थोऽथ भिक्षुकः । एषामाधारभूतोसौ गृहस्थो नान्यथेति च

Transliteration

brahmacārī gṛhastho vā vānaprastho'tha bhikṣukaḥ | eṣāmādhārabhūtosau gṛhastho nānyatheti ca

Translation

Maging brahmacārin na mapagpigil, maybahay, naninirahan sa gubat, o pulubing-monghe—sa kanilang lahat, ang maybahay ang siyang saligan; hindi maaaring iba.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचारी: a brahmacārin (celibate student)
• ब्रह्मचारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; आश्रमविशेषवाचक

• गृहस्थः: a householder
• गृहस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आश्रमविशेषवाचक

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: “or”)

• वानप्रस्थः: a forest-dweller (vānaprastha)
• वानप्रस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानप्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आश्रमविशेषवाचक

• अथ: then; and
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक/प्रसङ्गार्थक-अव्यय (then/and further)

• भिक्षुकः: a mendicant; beggar-monk
• भिक्षुकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; परिभ्राजक/भिक्षाचरवाचक

• एषाम्: of these (persons/āśramas)
• एषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• आधारभूतः: being the support/foundation
• आधारभूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आधार-भूत (प्रातिपदिक; भूत = √भू (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘भूत’; समासः—आधारः इव/आधाररूपेण भूतः

• असौ: that one; he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative: “that/he”)

• गृहस्थः: the householder
• गृहस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: otherwise)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī householder stands at the threshold with water-pot and offerings, welcoming a brahmacārin and a bhikṣu; behind him a small domestic shrine with lamp and bilva leaves, suggesting the home as the hub of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Gṛhastha
• Brahmacārī
• Vānaprastha
• Bhikṣuka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The householder’s dharma sustains society and enables the other āśramas; therefore it is foundational.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework, aligning household duty with the broader sanctity of Kāśī, though no single tīrtha is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it establishes the social-spiritual hierarchy of the four āśramas.