Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

प्रजानां रंजनाद्राजा येयं रूढिरुपार्जिता । तस्यां रूढ्यां प्रनष्टायां राज्यमेव विनंक्ष्यति

Transliteration

prajānāṃ raṃjanādrājā yeyaṃ rūḍhirupārjitā | tasyāṃ rūḍhyāṃ pranaṣṭāyāṃ rājyameva vinaṃkṣyati

Translation

Because he delights and sustains the people, he is called “rājā”—such is the established meaning. When that very bond and meaning are lost, the kingdom itself perishes.

Word by Word

• प्रजानाम्: of the subjects
• प्रजानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• रंजनात्: from pleasing/delighting
• रंजनात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक; √रञ्ज् (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative: from/through)

• राजा: a king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• या: which
• या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative pronoun)

• रूढिः: convention/accepted usage
• रूढिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूढि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उपार्जिता: acquired/established
• उपार्जिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपार्जित (कृदन्त; उप-√अर्ज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) विशेषण

• तस्याम्: when/where that (convention)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• रूढ्याम्: in the convention
• रूढ्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूढि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• प्रनष्टायाम्: having perished/being lost
• प्रनष्टायाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रनष्ट (कृदन्त; प्र-√नश् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) विशेषण

• राज्यम्: the kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृवत् (subject)

• एव: indeed/alone
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• विनंक्ष्यति: will perish
• विनंक्ष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√नश् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; रूपम्: विनङ्क्ष्यति/विनंक्ष्यति (अनुस्वार-लेखनभेद)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-scene: on one side, the king distributing justice and gifts, citizens smiling; on the other, the bond frays—citizens distressed, the palace dimming—showing the kingdom’s fate tied to prajā-rañjana.

Characters & Entities

• Prajā (subjects)
• Rājā (king)
• Rājya (kingdom)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A ruler’s dharma is to bring well-being and contentment to the people; without that, sovereignty collapses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the teaching appears in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s broader sacred setting of Kashi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal definition and warning regarding rāja-dharma.