Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

द्विजराजश्च धर्मश्च भृगुमारीचिमुख्यकाः । अत्यंतमपमानस्य भाजनं तेन कारिताः

Transliteration

dvijarājaśca dharmaśca bhṛgumārīcimukhyakāḥ | atyaṃtamapamānasya bhājanaṃ tena kāritāḥ

Translation

The king of brāhmaṇas and Dharma himself—along with Bhṛgu, Mārīci, and the other leading sages—were made by him to suffer extreme disgrace.

Word by Word

• द्विजराजः: king of the twice-born (chief Brahmin)
• द्विजराजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: द्विजानां राजा

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• धर्मः: Dharma / righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः

• भृगुमारीचिमुख्यकाः: the chiefs such as Bhṛgu and Mārīci
• भृगुमारीचिमुख्यकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगु + मारीचि + मुख्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः: भृगु-मारिचि-आदयः मुख्यकाः (the chief ones like Bhṛgu and Mārīci)

• अत्यन्तम्: exceedingly
• अत्यन्तम्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• अपमानस्य: of insult/disgrace
• अपमानस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचनम्

• भाजनम्: a receptacle; object (fit recipient)
• भाजनम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) एकवचनम्

• कारिताः: were made/caused (to become)
• कारिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (PPP); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; ‘कृताः/कारिताः’ (made/caused to be made)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dakṣa’s courtly sacrificial hall where eminent beings—Dharma personified and great sages like Bhṛgu and Mārīci—are publicly humiliated; faces show shock and restrained anger; ritual grandeur contrasts moral disgrace.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Bhṛgu
• Mārīci
• brāhmaṇa leaders (dvija-rāja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Status, learning, and ritual authority do not protect one who aligns against the Supreme; dharma without devotion becomes hollow.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kāśīkhaṇḍa, the supremacy of Śiva (Viśveśvara of Kāśī) is the doctrinal center behind the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.