Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

मातापितृविहीनं यो मौंजीपाणिग्रहादिभिः । संस्कारयेन्निजैरर्थैस्तस्य श्रेयस्त्वनंतकम्

Transliteration

mātāpitṛvihīnaṃ yo mauṃjīpāṇigrahādibhiḥ | saṃskārayennijairarthaistasya śreyastvanaṃtakam

Translation

جو شخص ماں باپ سے محروم کسی کے لیے اپنے مال سے مونجی (یَجنوپویت) اور بیاہ وغیرہ کے سنسکار کروا دے، اس کے لیے روحانی بھلائی بے انتہا ہے۔

Word by Word

• mātā-pitṛ-vihīnam: one deprived of mother and father
• mātā-pitṛ-vihīnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + vihīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मातापितृभ्यां विहीनः)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• mauṃjī-pāṇigraha-ādibhiḥ: by rites such as investiture with the sacred girdle and marriage
• mauṃjī-pāṇigraha-ādibhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mauṃjī (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṇigraha (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मौञ्जी च पाणिग्रहः च इत्यादयः)

• saṃskārayet: should perform the sacraments for
• saṃskārayet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√kṛ (सं + कृ धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense not intended; ‘संस्कारं कुर्यात्’

• nijaiḥ: with one’s own
• nijaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘अर्थैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• arthaiḥ: resources/wealth
• arthaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• tasya: for him/of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• śreyaḥ: spiritual merit/welfare
• śreyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• anantakam: endless
• anantakam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anantaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘श्रेयः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A benefactor arranges an upanayana for an orphan: the boy receives the yajñopavīta and staff; later a marriage rite scene—both suffused with sacred light, showing society restoring dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Enabling another’s dharmic life-cycle rites—especially for the unsupported—is a supremely meritorious form of giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharma teaching; it reflects the Kāśī Māhātmya spirit where righteous acts gain heightened sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To sponsor saṃskāras like mauñjī (upanayana) and pāṇigraha (marriage) for those lacking parental support.