Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92
वर्णाश्रमाश्च यद्राष्ट्रे ऽनुतिष्ठंति निजां क्रियाम् । कालेनापन्ननिधना भूपास्तेऽस्य सभासदः
varṇāśramāśca yadrāṣṭre 'nutiṣṭhaṃti nijāṃ kriyām | kālenāpannanidhanā bhūpāste'sya sabhāsadaḥ
Dans le royaume où les varṇa et les āśrama accomplissent comme il se doit leurs devoirs propres, ces rois, lorsque leur heure vient et qu’ils rencontrent la mort, deviennent membres de sa (de Yama) cour.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Scene: A prosperous kingdom: brāhmaṇas teaching, kṣatriyas guarding, vaiśyas trading, householders performing rites; the king oversees with humility; a subtle time-wheel (kāla-cakra) hints at mortality and Yama’s court beyond.
FAQs
A ruler’s greatness is measured by how well dharma flourishes under his protection—social and spiritual duties sustained without coercion into adharma.
The Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s broader Kāśī-mahātmya context frames these teachings, though this verse is primarily political-ethical.
The prescription is societal: each varṇa and āśrama should perform its own prescribed duties properly.