Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

राज्ञो धर्मरतेस्तस्य च्छिद्रं नावाप किंचन । अतः पुरारेः पुरतो व्रजित्वा किं वदेद्विधिः

Transliteration

rājño dharmaratestasya cchidraṃ nāvāpa kiṃcana | ataḥ purāreḥ purato vrajitvā kiṃ vadedvidhiḥ

Translation

In that king—delighting in dharma—Vidhi (Brahmā) found no fault at all. Therefore, having gone into the presence of Purāri (Śiva), what could Vidhi possibly say?

Word by Word

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• धर्मरतेः: of the dharma-delighting (righteous)
• धर्मरतेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; qualifier of ‘राज्ञः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म-रत (प्रातिपदिक; components: धर्म + रत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ (धर्मे रतः)

• तस्य: of him/that (king)
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• छिद्रम्: fault; flaw
• छिद्रम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• अवाप: found/obtained
• अवाप: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; धातु: √आप् (to obtain/find)

• किंचन: anything (at all)
• किंचन: Karma (कर्म; object of ‘अवाप’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंचन (सर्वनाम/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (‘anything’)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात्-अर्थे (therefore/from that)

• पुरारेः: of Purāri (Śiva, enemy of the Tripura)
• पुरारेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; with ‘पुरतः’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर-अरि (प्रातिपदिक; epithet of Śiva)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुरस्य अरिः)

• पुरतः: in front of
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (in front of)

• व्रजित्वा: having gone
• व्रजित्वा: Kriya (क्रिया; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; धातु: √व्रज् (to go)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (कर्म; object of ‘वदेत्’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• वदेत्: would say
• वदेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; धातु: √वद् (to speak)

• विधिः: Brahmā (Vidhi)
• विधिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā stands before Śiva (Purāri) in a sanctum-like setting, hands folded, unable to speak any fault against a dharma-delighting king; Śiva’s calm, penetrating gaze signifies moral finality.

Characters & Entities

• Divodāsa (implied: the dharmic king in context)
• Vidhi (Brahmā)
• Purāri (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma in a ruler is portrayed as spotless; in the presence of Śiva, even Brahmā has no grounds for accusation or complaint.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Kāśī itself—where dharma, devotion, and Śiva’s immediate presence define the kṣetra’s spiritual authority.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes ethical qualification (dharmaratatva) rather than a specific rite.