Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

स एव दंड्योऽभूत्तस्य राज्ञो मित्रजितः क्षितौ । यो विष्णुभक्तिरहितः प्राणैरपि धनैरपि

Transliteration

sa eva daṃḍyo'bhūttasya rājño mitrajitaḥ kṣitau | yo viṣṇubhaktirahitaḥ prāṇairapi dhanairapi

Translation

Under King Mitrajit upon the earth, that person alone was punishable—who was devoid of devotion to Viṣṇu, whether in life itself or in wealth.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• daṇḍyaḥ: punishable
• daṇḍyaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daṇḍya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective: punishable)

• abhūt: became/was
• abhūt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• tasya: of him/of that (king)
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• rājñaḥ: of the king
• rājñaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• mitrajitaḥ: Mitrajit
• mitrajitaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mitrajit (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• kṣitau: on earth
• kṣitau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject of relative clause/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• viṣṇubhaktirahitaḥ: devoid of devotion to Viṣṇu
• viṣṇubhaktirahitaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + rahita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: विष्णोः भक्तिः (viṣṇubhakti) + तया रहितः (devoid of devotion to Viṣṇu)

• prāṇaiḥ: with (his) lives/breaths
• prāṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-निपात (particle: even/also)

• dhanaiḥ: with wealth
• dhanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-निपात (particle: even/also)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative, typically Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Mitrajit

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is presented as the central public virtue; society is protected by aligning rule with devotion and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-kṣetra setting (Kāśīkhaṇḍa) where devotion is portrayed as the highest civic principle.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the verse stresses adherence to Viṣṇu-bhakti as a normative dharmic requirement.