Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

आपृच्छि धर्मराजेन चित्रगुप्तोथ मापते । धर्माधर्मं विचार्यास्य कथयाशु द्विजन्मनः

Transliteration

āpṛcchi dharmarājena citraguptotha māpate | dharmādharmaṃ vicāryāsya kathayāśu dvijanmanaḥ

Translation

তখন ধর্মরাজ যম চিত্রগুপ্তকে জিজ্ঞাসা করলেন— “হে প্রভু! এই দ্বিজের ধর্ম-অধর্ম শীঘ্র বিচার করে আমাকে জানাও।”

Word by Word

• आपृच्छि: (he) asked / inquired
• आपृच्छि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-pṛcch (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), उत्तमपुरुष? न; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: √पृच्छ् (to ask), उपसर्ग: आ-

• धर्मराजेन: by Dharmarāja (Yama)
• धर्मराजेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज (प्रातिपदिक) = धर्म + राजन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (धर्मस्य राजा)

• चित्रगुप्तः: Citragupta
• चित्रगुप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रगुप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/सम्बन्धसूचक (then/now)

• मा: not / do not
• मा: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive/negation particle)

• आपते: (it) befalls / comes upon
• आपते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-pat (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; धातु: √पत् (to fall/occur), उपसर्ग: आ-; अर्थे: ‘to befall/come upon’

• धर्माधर्मम्: dharma and adharma (right and wrong)
• धर्माधर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (धर्मश्च अधर्मश्च)

• विचार्य: having examined
• विचार्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव; धातु: √चर्, उपसर्ग: वि-; अर्थ: ‘having considered/examined’

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कथय: tell
• कथय: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: √कथय् (to tell)

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Adverbial modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• द्विजन्मनः: of the twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजन्मनः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) = द्वि + जन्मन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विजस्य जन्म)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual); Yama addresses Citragupta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (frame) / internal audience (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn court of Yama: Dharmarāja seated with staff/daṇḍa, Citragupta holding palm-leaf ledger, a trembling brāhmaṇa-soul awaiting verdict; attendants and scales of justice implied.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja (Yama)
• Citragupta
• Dvija (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions are weighed as dharma and adharma; accountability before Dharmarāja is inevitable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa (glory of Kāśī/Varanasi), though this verse itself focuses on karmic judgment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it introduces the formal examination of a person’s deeds.