Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

त्याज्यं कर्म पराधीनं कायमात्मवशं सदा । दुःखी यतः पराधीनः सदैवात्मवशः सुखी

Transliteration

tyājyaṃ karma parādhīnaṃ kāyamātmavaśaṃ sadā | duḥkhī yataḥ parādhīnaḥ sadaivātmavaśaḥ sukhī

Translation

وہ کام جو انسان کو دوسروں کا محتاج بنا دے، ترک کرنے کے لائق ہے؛ اپنی زندگی کو ہمیشہ اپنے قابو میں رکھو۔ کیونکہ محتاج آدمی دکھی رہتا ہے، اور خود پر حاکم شخص ہمیشہ خوش رہتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• त्याज्यम्: to be abandoned
• त्याज्यम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate of ‘karma’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्याज्य (प्रातिपदिक; √त्यज् धातु से ‘-य’ प्रत्यय, gerundive)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कृदन्त: य-प्रत्यय (gerundive: ‘to be abandoned’)

• कर्म: action, deed
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पराधीनम्: dependent on others
• पराधीनम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Qualifier of ‘karma’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + अधीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समास: परस्य अधीनम् (dependent on another)

• कायम्: the body
• कायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आत्मवशम्: under one’s own control
• आत्मवशम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Qualifier of ‘kāyam’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समास: आत्मनः वशः (under one’s own control)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• दुःखी: unhappy
• दुःखी: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक अव्यय (causal indeclinable: ‘because/for’)

• पराधीनः: dependent on others
• पराधीनः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर + अधीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• आत्मवशः: self-controlled
• आत्मवशः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मन् + वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सुखी: happy
• सुखी: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुखिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-householder at a Kāśī ghat rejects a tempting but compromising offer from a powerful patron; he chooses a simple path, holding a japa-mālā, standing upright—symbol of self-mastery—while the Ganga flows steadily behind.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Happiness supports dharma when one lives with self-mastery; dependency that compromises integrity breeds sorrow.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is specified; the instruction appears within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharmic discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical prescription is given: avoid livelihoods/actions that force unethical dependence; cultivate ātma-vaśa (self-control).