Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

न नेत्रविषये जाता विषये यस्यभूभृतः । सदा नष्टपदा द्वेष्यास्तदाऽनष्टपदाः प्रजाः

Transliteration

na netraviṣaye jātā viṣaye yasyabhūbhṛtaḥ | sadā naṣṭapadā dveṣyāstadā'naṣṭapadāḥ prajāḥ

Translation

Im Herrschaftsgebiet jenes Königs erhebt sich kein Feind im Bereich des Blickes. Die Verhassten sind stets ihres Standes beraubt; darum bleiben die Untertanen geborgen und verlieren niemals ihren rechtmäßigen Platz.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक

• netra-viṣaye: within the range of the eye
• netra-viṣaye: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक) + viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नेत्रस्य विषयः)

• jātāḥ: arisen, come about
• jātāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jāta (कृदन्त; √jan (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• viṣaye: in the realm/territory
• viṣaye: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• bhūbhṛtaḥ: of the king
• bhūbhṛtaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūbhṛt (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘भूभृत्’ = king (earth-bearer)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक

• naṣṭa-padāḥ: having lost position/footing
• naṣṭa-padāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naṣṭa (कृदन्त; √naś (धातु) क्त) + pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नष्टं पदं येषाम्/नष्टपदाः)

• dveṣyāḥ: hateful; to be hated
• dveṣyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dveṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then)

• anaṣṭa-padāḥ: not having lost position; secure
• anaṣṭa-padāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-naṣṭa (कृदन्त; √naś (धातु) क्त) + pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (अनष्टं पदं येषाम्)

• prajāḥ: subjects, people
• prajāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tranquil realm under a vigilant king: no enemies visible; hostile figures shown slipping or fading without foothold, while citizens stand firmly on stable ground, engaged in daily life and worship.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūbhṛt (King)
• Prajāḥ (subjects)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Where dharma is strong, hostility finds no ground, and the people live in stability and rightful security.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī Khaṇḍa context frames the teaching within sacred Kāśī’s dharmic order, though no particular tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.