Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

अथ काशीं समासाद्य रविरंतर्बहिश्चरन् । मनागपि न तद्भूपे धर्मध्वस्तिमवेक्षत

Transliteration

atha kāśīṃ samāsādya raviraṃtarbahiścaran | manāgapi na tadbhūpe dharmadhvastimavekṣata

Translation

Then, having reached Kāśī, Ravi moved about both within and without; yet he did not see, even in the slightest degree, the ruin of dharma in that king.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: सम्बन्ध (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक-निपात (then/thereupon)

• काशीम्: Kashi
• काशीम्: कर्म/गन्तव्य (Destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• समासाद्य: having reached
• समासाद्य: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• रविः: the Sun
• रविः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अन्तर्बहिःचरन्: moving within and without
• अन्तर्बहिःचरन्: कर्ता (Agent; participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्तर् (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + बहिः (अव्यय) + चरन् (कृदन्त; चर् धातु, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present participle) शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे ‘within and without moving’

• मनाक्: even slightly
• मनाक्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मनाक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अल्पार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (a little)

• अपि: even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक-निपात (even)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक-निपात

• तद्भूपे: in that king/land (there)
• तद्भूपे: अधिकरण (Location/realm)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य भूपः)

• धर्मध्वस्तिम्: destruction of dharma
• धर्मध्वस्तिम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य ध्वस्तिः)

• अवेक्षत: saw/observed
• अवेक्षत: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव+ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Arriving in Kāśī, Ravi moves about inside and outside, surveying the realm; he finds not even a slight sign of dharma’s destruction in that king’s land.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• king (bhūpa)
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a truly dharmic realm, righteousness is visible in governance; sacred places are upheld through dharmic kingship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, portrayed as a city worthy of divine scrutiny and as a center where dharma is not easily overthrown.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is observational, describing Sūrya’s inspection and the absence of dharma’s decline.