Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92
वर्णाश्रमाश्च यद्राष्ट्रे ऽनुतिष्ठंति निजां क्रियाम् । कालेनापन्ननिधना भूपास्तेऽस्य सभासदः
varṇāśramāśca yadrāṣṭre 'nutiṣṭhaṃti nijāṃ kriyām | kālenāpannanidhanā bhūpāste'sya sabhāsadaḥ
In whose kingdom the classes and stages of life duly perform their own duties—those kings, when their time comes and they meet their end, become members of his (Yama’s) court.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Scene: A prosperous kingdom: brāhmaṇas teaching, kṣatriyas guarding, vaiśyas trading, householders performing rites; the king oversees with humility; a subtle time-wheel (kāla-cakra) hints at mortality and Yama’s court beyond.
FAQs
A ruler’s greatness is measured by how well dharma flourishes under his protection—social and spiritual duties sustained without coercion into adharma.
The Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s broader Kāśī-mahātmya context frames these teachings, though this verse is primarily political-ethical.
The prescription is societal: each varṇa and āśrama should perform its own prescribed duties properly.