Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

वैराग्याद्गृहमुत्सृज्य गृहधर्मान्हृदि स्मरेत् । स भवेदुभयभ्रष्टो वानप्रस्थो न वा गृही

Transliteration

vairāgyādgṛhamutsṛjya gṛhadharmānhṛdi smaret | sa bhavedubhayabhraṣṭo vānaprastho na vā gṛhī

Translation

Kung dahil sa (maling) paglayo sa pagnanasa ay tinalikuran niya ang tahanan ngunit sa puso’y inaalaala at minimithi pa ang mga tungkulin ng maybahay, siya’y napapahamak sa dalawa—hindi tunay na naninirahan sa gubat ni tunay na maybahay.

Word by Word

• वैराग्यात्: from dispassion
• वैराग्यात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैराग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेतौ (from dispassion)

• गृहम्: the house/home
• गृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म (house as object)

• उत्सृज्य: having abandoned
• उत्सृज्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-सृज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय; absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (having abandoned)

• गृहधर्मान्: duties of a householder
• गृहधर्मान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह-धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; गृहस्य धर्माः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; कर्म

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरणे (in the heart/mind)

• स्मरेत्: should remember
• स्मरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should remember)

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (would become)

• उभयभ्रष्टः: deprived of both (states)
• उभयभ्रष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभय + भ्रष्ट (√भ्रंश्)
• Form: कृदन्त ‘भ्रष्ट’ (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उभयात् भ्रष्टः इति तत्पुरुष (fallen from both)

• वानप्रस्थः: a vānaprastha
• वानप्रस्थः: Karta (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानप्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate noun)

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

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

• गृही: a householder
• गृही: Karta (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate noun)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man leaves his house toward the forest path, but a tether from his heart remains tied to household symbols (hearth, ledger, ornaments); two paths diverge, and he stands stranded between them.

Characters & Entities

• Vairāgya
• Gṛhastha
• Vānaprastha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Renunciation must be wholehearted; abandoning duties without inner release leads to spiritual instability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha; it is a general dharma instruction situated within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it prescribes integrity in one’s chosen āśrama—do not abandon externally what you still cling to internally.