Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

जीवहीनो यथा देहो भूषितोपि न शोभते । तथेश्वरं विना यज्ञः श्मशानमिव लक्ष्यते

Transliteration

jīvahīno yathā deho bhūṣitopi na śobhate | tatheśvaraṃ vinā yajñaḥ śmaśānamiva lakṣyate

Translation

جیسے جان کے بغیر جسم زیور پہن کر بھی نہیں چمکتا، ویسے ہی ایشور کے بغیر یَجْن شَمشان کی مانند دکھائی دیتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• जीवहीनः: lifeless
• जीवहीनः: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier of देहः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘जीवेन हीनः’ (devoid of life)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय (comparative ‘as/just as’)

• देहः: body
• देहः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भूषितः: adorned
• भूषितः: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier of देहः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘adorned’

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) ‘even/also’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• शोभते: shines; looks beautiful
• शोभते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुभ्/शोभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• तथा: so; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुल्यताबोधक अव्यय (so/likewise)

• ईश्वरम्: the Lord
• ईश्वरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object with vinā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana (अपादान/without, separation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादानार्थक/वियोगार्थक अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable) governing द्वितीया

• यज्ञः: sacrifice; ritual
• यज्ञः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्मशानम्: a cremation ground
• श्मशानम्: Upamana (उपमान/standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय (like/as)

• लक्ष्यते: is seen; appears
• लक्ष्यते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Dadhīci (addressing Dakṣa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark visual contrast: on one side a richly decorated but lifeless body; on the other a splendid yajña arena that appears like a cremation-ground because the Lord is absent—smoke, ash, and emptiness despite ornaments.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Yajña
• Dadhīci
• Dakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion and divine presence are the ‘life’ of ritual; without Īśvara, ceremonies become spiritually empty and inauspicious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Kāśī’s theological ethos (Īśvara-centered worship) is reinforced; no single tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is doctrinal: a yajña must include proper īśvara-pūjā/invocation; otherwise it is condemned as inauspicious.