Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

त्वमेव धर्माधिकृतौ समस्त शरीरिणां स्थावरजंगमानाम् । मया नियुक्तोद्य दिनादिकृत्यः प्रशाधि सर्वान्मम शासनेन

Transliteration

tvameva dharmādhikṛtau samasta śarīriṇāṃ sthāvarajaṃgamānām | mayā niyuktodya dinādikṛtyaḥ praśādhi sarvānmama śāsanena

Translation

Toi seul es établi comme l’autorité du dharma sur tous les êtres incarnés, immobiles et mobiles. Aujourd’hui je te confie les devoirs qui commencent par le calcul des jours et l’ordonnancement de la conduite ; gouverne tous les êtres selon Mon commandement.

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed/alone
• एव: Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• धर्म-अधिकृतौ: appointed over dharma
• धर्म-अधिकृतौ: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + अधिकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मे अधिकृतः) विशेषण

• समस्त: entire/overall
• समस्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• शरीरिणाम्: of embodied beings
• शरीरिणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• स्थावर-जङ्गमानाम्: of immobile and mobile (beings)
• स्थावर-जङ्गमानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थावर + जङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (स्थावराश्च जङ्गमाश्च)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent as instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नियुक्तः: appointed
• नियुक्तः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• दिन-आदि-कृत्यः: (one whose duty is) daily and other tasks
• दिन-आदि-कृत्यः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन + आदि + कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (दिनादीनि कृत्यानि यस्य) कार्यसमूहवाचक

• प्रशाधि: govern/discipline
• प्रशाधि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + शास् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• सर्वान्: all (beings)
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शासनेन: by (my) command
• शासनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (as commissioner; narrated in Kāśīkhaṇḍa by Skanda)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva formally commissions Dharmarāja: a regal, administrative moment—Śiva’s command, the recipient attentive, symbols of time (sun-wheel, calendar/ledger) and dharma (staff, scales).

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Dharmarāja (Yama)
• All beings (sthāvara-jaṅgama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is portrayed as a divinely instituted order, administered impartially over all beings under Śiva’s sovereignty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is doctrinal narrative within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; it does not single out a particular Kāśī shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the divine commissioning of dharma-governance rather than a devotee’s rite.