Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

प्रजानिजकुटुंबस्त्वं त्वं तु भूदेवदैवतः । महातपः सहायस्त्वं पथानान्ये तथा नृपाः

Transliteration

prajānijakuṭuṃbastvaṃ tvaṃ tu bhūdevadaivataḥ | mahātapaḥ sahāyastvaṃ pathānānye tathā nṛpāḥ

Translation

You treat your subjects as your own family; in truth you are as a very deity to the brāhmaṇas. You are a helper to great ascetics—while other kings are merely helpers for worldly paths.

Word by Word

• प्रजानिजकुटुम्बः: (you are) the own family of the people
• प्रजानिजकुटुम्बः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक) + निज (प्रातिपदिक) + कुटुम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रजानां निजं कुटुम्बम् इति)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• भूदेवदैवतः: the deity of the Brahmins
• भूदेवदैवतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूदेव (प्रातिपदिक) + दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूदेवानां दैवतम्)

• महातपः: great ascetic
• महातपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महत्तपाः)

• सहायः: helper/ally
• सहायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पथानाम्: of the paths/ways
• पथानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अन्ये: other
• अन्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• तथा: likewise/so
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• नृपाः: kings
• नृपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Divodāsa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa or sage addresses King Divodāsa in a courtly setting, praising his familial care for subjects and reverence for brāhmaṇas; ascetics stand nearby, symbolizing royal support of tapas.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rajadharma is service: protecting the people, honoring brāhmaṇas, and supporting ascetic life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse supports the Kāśī ethos of dharma-protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it prescribes a king’s duty of support toward tapasvīs and brāhmaṇas.