Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

सोभूत्पुण्यजनाधीशो रिपुराक्षसवर्धनः । जगत्प्राणसमानश्च जगत्प्राणनतत्परः

Transliteration

sobhūtpuṇyajanādhīśo ripurākṣasavardhanaḥ | jagatprāṇasamānaśca jagatprāṇanatatparaḥ

Translation

صار سيّدًا بين أهل البرّ، مُعظِّمًا لهلاكِ رākṣasas الأعداء؛ وكأنّه نَفَسُ الحياةِ للعالم، تفرّغ لإدامةِ حياةِ الكون.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पुण्यजन-अधीशः: lord of the blessed beings (yakṣas etc.)
• पुण्यजन-अधीशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्यजन + अधीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुण्यजनानाम् अधीशः)

• रिपु-राक्षस-वर्धनः: one who increases the enemies/demons (i.e., makes them grow in fear/strength)
• रिपु-राक्षस-वर्धनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपु + राक्षस + वर्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रिपुराक्षसानां वर्धनः)

• जगत्-प्राण-समाणः: equal to the life-breath of the world
• जगत्-प्राण-समाणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जगत् + प्राण + समान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जगतः प्राणैः समानः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• जगत्-प्राण-नतत्परः: not intent on (destroying) the world’s life-breath
• जगत्-प्राण-नतत्परः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जगत् + प्राण + न + तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वपदयुक्त तत्पुरुषः (जगत्प्राणे न तत्परः = not intent on harming the world’s life)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king stands among grateful sādhus and citizens; shadowy rākṣasa-like figures retreat; a subtle prāṇa motif—flowing light or breath—radiates from the protector into the city.

Characters & Entities

• Rākṣasas
• Divodāsa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The dharmic ruler lives for loka-saṅgraha (world-sustaining order): nurturing the good and restraining destructive forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sanctity is reinforced through the ideal of its protector; the setting remains the Vārāṇasī-centered narrative of this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is doctrinal and laudatory rather than ritualistic.