Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

इत्यादि गुणवद्देशे त्वयिराज्यं प्रशासति । धर्मेण राजधर्मज्ञ शौंडीर्यगुणशालिनि

Transliteration

ityādi guṇavaddeśe tvayirājyaṃ praśāsati | dharmeṇa rājadharmajña śauṃḍīryaguṇaśālini

Translation

Thus, in a land abundant in virtues, you govern the kingdom by dharma—O knower of royal duty, O one endowed with valor and noble qualities.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha/Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्ति-बोधक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• आदि: and so on, etc.
• आदि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); 'इत्यादि' इति समाहारार्थे प्रयोगः

• गुणवत्-देशे: in a virtuous region
• गुणवत्-देशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुणवत् (प्रातिपदिक) + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वयि: in you / under you
• त्वयि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• राज्यम्: kingdom, rule
• राज्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रशासति: governs, rules
• प्रशासति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शास् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• धर्मेण: by righteousness, with dharma
• धर्मेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• राज-धर्म-ज्ञ: knower of royal duty
• राज-धर्म-ज्ञ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राज (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (addressing)

• शौण्डीर्य-गुण-शालिनि: O one possessing the qualities of valor
• शौण्डीर्य-गुण-शालिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शौण्डीर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + शालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (addressing)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dharmic king seated in audience, receiving counsel from learned elders/ascetics; behind him, Kāśī’s temples and ghāṭs; the king’s posture shows valor tempered by humility.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A king’s greatness is measured by dharmic governance—protecting and ruling in alignment with sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred realm whose social virtues and governance are being praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse is a eulogy of dharmic rule (rāja-dharma).