Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 217

Devanagari script

धिगेतत्सौधसौंदर्यं धिगेतद्धनसंचयम् । विनापत्यं प्रियतमे जीवितं च धिगावयोः

Transliteration

dhigetatsaudhasauṃdaryaṃ dhigetaddhanasaṃcayam | vināpatyaṃ priyatame jīvitaṃ ca dhigāvayoḥ

Translation

Đáng khinh thay vẻ đẹp lầu đài, đáng khinh thay sự tích trữ của cải. Hỡi người yêu dấu, không con cái—thì ngay cả mạng sống của đôi ta cũng đáng khinh.

Word by Word

• dhik: shame! fie!
• dhik: Discourse particle (भाव/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhik (अव्यय)
• Form: निन्दार्थक-अव्यय (interjection of censure)

• etat: this
• etat: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• saudha-saundaryam: the beauty of the mansion
• saudha-saundaryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saudha (प्रातिपदिक) + saundarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (saudhasya saundaryam)

• dhik: shame! fie!
• dhik: Discourse particle (भाव/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhik (अव्यय)
• Form: निन्दार्थक-अव्यय

• etat: this
• etat: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• dhana-saṃcayam: accumulation of wealth
• dhana-saṃcayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃcaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (dhanasya saṃcayaḥ)

• vinā: without
• vinā: Relation marker (अपादान/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश-अव्यय/निपात; वियोगार्थक (without)

• apatyam: offspring, child
• apatyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apatya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• priyatame: O beloved
• priyatame: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyatama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; प्रियतम-शब्द

• jīvitam: life
• jīvitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र निन्द्य-विषयत्वेन द्वितीया-सम्भावना

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• dhik: shame! fie!
• dhik: Discourse particle (भाव/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhik (अव्यय)
• Form: निन्दार्थक-अव्यय

• āvayoḥ: of us two
• āvayoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन

Speaker

Unknown (dialogue line; speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poignant domestic scene: a couple in a grand mansion turns away from luxury and piled wealth, expressing anguish and disillusionment at childlessness; the opulence is rendered as spiritually empty.

Characters & Entities

• Wealth
• Home (saudha)
• Offspring (apatya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly splendor and wealth are depicted as hollow when life’s deeper aims and continuities are absent, pushing the mind toward dispassion and higher purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; it is an ethical-emotional reflection within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse expresses lament and value-judgment rather than prescribing a rite.