Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

कुशेन दैत्यराजेन सेवितां पालितां तथा । बहुम्लेच्छ समाकीर्णामधर्मोपार्जकैर्जनैः

Transliteration

kuśena daityarājena sevitāṃ pālitāṃ tathā | bahumleccha samākīrṇāmadharmopārjakairjanaiḥ

Translation

Cette terre était servie et gouvernée par Kuśa, roi des daityas ; elle était encombrée de nombreux mlecchas et de gens qui vivaient de moyens contraires au dharma.

Word by Word

• कुशेन: by Kuśa
• कुशेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• दैत्यराजेन: by the king of demons
• दैत्यराजेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य-राज (प्रातिपदिक; दैत्य + राज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• सेविताम्: served
• सेविताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु) → सेवित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि विशेषण; Accusative singular feminine (agreeing with implied नगरीम्/भूमिम्)

• पालिताम्: protected/ruled
• पालिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाल् (धातु) → पालित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; Accusative singular feminine

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• बहु: many
• बहु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग/पूर्वपद; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन अव्ययवत्; used as first member meaning 'many'

• म्लेच्छ: mlecchas/foreigners
• म्लेच्छ: Visheshya (Qualified/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: म्लेच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (समास/समुच्चयार्थे); here as qualifier in bahumleccha-

• समाकीर्णाम्: filled/crowded
• समाकीर्णाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-कीर् (धातु) → समाकीर्ण (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि क्त; Accusative singular feminine

• अधर्मोपार्जकैः: by unrighteous earners/acquirers
• अधर्मोपार्जकैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधर्म-उपार्जक (प्रातिपदिक; अधर्म + उपार्जक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural (qualifying जनैः)

• जनैः: by people
• जनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

Speaker

Deductive (Dvārakā Māhātmya narration; traditionally Sūta speaking to the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānarta-viṣaya (pre-tīrtha zone)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied brāhmaṇa audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A daitya king Kuśa presides; the land teems with mleccha groups and unrighteous traders; the sage moves through with composed austerity, a lone dharmic figure amid turmoil.

Characters & Entities

• Kuśa (Daitya-rāja)
• Daitya
• Mleccha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rule by adharma-oriented powers is depicted as producing social and spiritual disorder, sharpening the value of dhārmic tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it describes the impious setting that precedes the tīrtha encounter in the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse functions as a moral-geographical description contrasting dharma and adharma.