Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

अनाश्रमी न तिष्ठेत दिनमेकमपि द्विजः । आश्रमं तु विना तिष्ठन्प्रायश्चित्ती यतो हि सः

Transliteration

anāśramī na tiṣṭheta dinamekamapi dvijaḥ | āśramaṃ tu vinā tiṣṭhanprāyaścittī yato hi saḥ

Translation

Ang dvija (dalawang-ulit na isinilang) ay hindi dapat manatiling walang āśrama kahit isang araw man. Sapagkat ang nananatiling walang āśrama ay nagiging karapat-dapat sa prāyaścitta, ang pag-aalis-sala.

Word by Word

• anāśramī: one without an āśrama
• anāśramī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: an- (उपसर्ग/नञ्) + āśramin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-समासपूर्वक विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• tiṣṭheta: should remain
• tiṣṭheta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• dinam: a day
• dinam: Kala (Time/काल) (duration as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ekam: one/single
• ekam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; numeral adjective qualifying dinam

• api: even
• api: Emphasis (सम्भावना/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = even/also (emphatic particle)

• dvijaḥ: a twice-born (brahmin etc.)
• dvijaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (apposition to anāśramī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• āśramam: āśrama (stage of life)
• āśramam: Karma (Object/कर्म) (with vinā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• vinā: without
• vinā: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विना = without (prepositional indeclinable governing accusative)

• tiṣṭhan: staying
• tiṣṭhan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (of implied 'bhavati')
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; present active participle

• prāyaścittī: liable to expiation/penitent
• prāyaścittī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāyaścitta (प्रातिपदिक) + in (इन् प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (इन्) = 'requiring expiation/penitent'

• yataḥ: because
• yataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (causal: because/for)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/समर्थनार्थक (indeed/for)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dvija standing before a dharma-assembly with a manuscript of dharmaśāstra; a small scale symbolizes accountability; a priest indicates expiation rites, emphasizing immediacy (‘not even one day’).

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual life requires stable dharmic anchoring; drifting outside disciplined stages is treated as a fault needing correction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the contextual backdrop; the city’s greatness is tied to living dharma, not only pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It states that living without an āśrama entails prāyaścitta (expiatory rite).