Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

रसविक्रयिणं विप्रमिक्षुयंत्रे प्रपीडय । प्रजापीडाकरं भूपमंधकूपे निपातय

Transliteration

rasavikrayiṇaṃ vipramikṣuyaṃtre prapīḍaya | prajāpīḍākaraṃ bhūpamaṃdhakūpe nipātaya

Translation

Zerquetsche in der Zuckerrohrpresse den Brāhmaṇa, der das verbotene „rasa“ verkauft. Und stürze in Andhakūpa den König, der seine Untertanen bedrückt.

Word by Word

• rasa-vikrayiṇam: a seller of juice/liquid (rasa)
• rasa-vikrayiṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rasa (प्रातिपदिक) + vikrayin (प्रातिपदिक, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिकः from √krī/√vikrī विक्रय ‘to sell’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) ‘रसस्य विक्रयी’

• vipram: a Brahmin
• vipram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ikṣu-yaṃtre: in a sugarcane-press (machine)
• ikṣu-yaṃtre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ikṣu (प्रातिपदिक) + yantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) ‘इक्षोः यन्त्रे’

• prapīḍaya: press/crush (him)
• prapīḍaya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√pīḍ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• prajā-pīḍā-karam: one who causes suffering to subjects
• prajā-pīḍā-karam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक) + pīḍā (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (उपपद-तत्पुरुषः) ‘प्रजाः पीडां करोति’

• bhūpam: a king
• bhūpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• andha-kūpe: in a blind/dark well
• andha-kūpe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andha (प्रातिपदिक) + kūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः ‘अन्धः कूपः’

• nipātaya: throw down / cause to fall
• nipātaya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√pat (धातु) (causative/णिच्: nipātaya-)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa, Skanda → Agastya dialogue context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Halāyudha (Balarāma)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: Yama’s attendants drag a brāhmaṇa toward a sugarcane press; nearby, a crowned king is hurled into a dark, well-like pit labeled Andhakūpa; Kāśī’s distant ghats and a faint liṅga silhouette remind the viewer of the sacred setting.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī
• Naraka
• Andhakūpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is role-sensitive: brāhmaṇas must uphold purity of livelihood, and rulers must protect—not exploit—their people.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the textual setting; this verse emphasizes dharma governance and conduct rather than naming a particular tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it is a normative teaching on right livelihood and just rule.