Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

दिवोदासस्य तस्यैवं काश्यां राज्यं प्रशासतः । गतं वर्षं दिनप्रायं शरदामयुताष्टकम्

Transliteration

divodāsasya tasyaivaṃ kāśyāṃ rājyaṃ praśāsataḥ | gataṃ varṣaṃ dinaprāyaṃ śaradāmayutāṣṭakam

Translation

So verging die Zeit, während Divodāsa das Reich in Kāśī regierte—fast so schnell wie ein einziger Tag—acht Myriaden von Herbsten, das heißt achtzigtausend Jahre.

Word by Word

• दिवोदासस्य: of Divodāsa
• दिवोदासस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवोदास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एवम्: thus/in this manner
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• राज्यम्: kingdom/rule
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्रशासतः: while governing
• प्रशासतः: Shashthi-absolute (Genitive absolute)
• Type: Kridanta
• Root: प्र + शास् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; ‘while governing/of (him) governing’

• गतम्: elapsed/passed
• गतम्: Kriya/Predicate-participle
• Type: Kridanta
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘elapsed’

• वर्षम्: a year
• वर्षम्: Karma/Measure (परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• दिनप्रायम्: almost (as if) days (i.e., very quickly)
• दिनप्रायम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिन + प्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (almost like days / day by day)

• शरदाम्: of autumns/years
• शरदाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• अयुताष्टकम्: eighty thousand
• अयुताष्टकम्: Measure/Number (परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुत + अष्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (ten-thousand times eight = 80,000)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Divodāsa seated in a just court in Kāśī, seasons cycling in a circular mandala around him—especially autumn (śarad) repeating countless times—yet the king remains steady; a subtle clockless, timeless aura over the city.

Characters & Entities

• Divodāsa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a dharmic and sacred realm, time itself is portrayed as auspicious—long ages pass smoothly under righteous rule.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), as the seat of Divodāsa’s extraordinary, long-lasting righteous governance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is mentioned; the verse provides narrative chronology and praise of the reign in Kāśī.