Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

ये प्रजाः पालयंतीह पुत्रानेव निजौरसान् । दंडयंति च धर्मेण भूपास्तेऽस्य सभासदः

Transliteration

ye prajāḥ pālayaṃtīha putrāneva nijaurasān | daṃḍayaṃti ca dharmeṇa bhūpāste'sya sabhāsadaḥ

Translation

Ces rois qui, ici-bas, protègent leurs sujets comme leurs propres fils nés d’eux, et qui châtient selon le dharma—ces souverains sont membres de sa (celle de Yama) cour.

Word by Word

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• प्रजाः: subjects, people
• प्रजाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• पालयन्ति: protect, govern
• पालयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• पुत्रान्: sons
• पुत्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• इव: like, as
• इव: Upamana (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक-निपात (particle of comparison)

• निज: own
• निज: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• औरसान्: born of one’s body, natural (sons)
• औरसान्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: औरस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• दण्डयन्ति: punish
• दण्डयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दण्डय् (धातु; दण्ड् + णिच्)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• धर्मेण: by righteousness, according to dharma
• धर्मेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संकेत-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• अस्य: of this (kingdom/person)
• अस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सभासदः: councillors, members of the assembly
• सभासदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा + सद् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सभा-सम्बन्धी सदः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A righteous king on a lion-throne listens to petitions, protects families, and orders measured punishment; in the background, Yama’s court with Citragupta records the king’s deeds, welcoming him as a sabhāsad.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Bhūpa (Kings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous governance is sacred service: protection with compassion and punishment with dharma aligns a king with cosmic justice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting; the verse itself focuses on rāja-dharma rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it prescribes ethical statecraft—fair protection and dharmic discipline.