Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

अलंघ्यशासनः श्रीमान्विष्णुभक्तिपरायणः । अभुनक्प्रचुरान्भोगान्समंताद्विष्णुसात्कृतान्

Transliteration

alaṃghyaśāsanaḥ śrīmānviṣṇubhaktiparāyaṇaḥ | abhunakpracurānbhogānsamaṃtādviṣṇusātkṛtān

Translation

Sein Gebot war unübertrefflich; er war ruhmreich und ganz der Bhakti zu Viṣṇu hingegeben. Reichliche Freuden genoss er — allenthalben geheiligt und durch Viṣṇus Gnade gewährt.

Word by Word

• अलङ्घ्य-शासनः: whose rule is untransgressable
• अलङ्घ्य-शासनः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलङ्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त ‘a-laṅghya’) + शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अलङ्घ्यं शासनं यस्य) — विशेषणम् (सः)

• श्रीमान्: prosperous / illustrious
• श्रीमान्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• विष्णु-भक्ति-परायणः: devoted to devotion to Viṣṇu
• विष्णु-भक्ति-परायणः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विष्णौ भक्तिः; तस्यां परायणः) — विशेषणम्

• अभुनक्: enjoyed
• अभुनक्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; ‘अभुनक्’ = he enjoyed/ate

• प्रचुरान्: abundant
• प्रचुरान्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रचुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (भोगान्)

• भोगान्: enjoyments
• भोगान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• समन्तात्: on all sides / entirely
• समन्तात्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb) — ‘सर्वतः/चारुतः’

• विष्णु-सात्-कृतान्: made subservient to Viṣṇu / offered to Viṣṇu
• विष्णु-सात्-कृतान्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + सात् (अव्यय/उपपद) + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (P.P.P.), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णु-सात् कृत) — विशेषणम् (भोगान्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An illustrious king issuing just commands; around him, abundance—harvest, jewels, music—yet all offerings are first placed before a Viṣṇu icon, indicating pleasures sanctified by devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Viṣṇu makes authority righteous and prosperity sanctified rather than corrupting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named in this verse; it continues the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s devotional-ethical narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it highlights viṣṇu-bhakti as the sustaining practice.