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

ಸ್ಥಾವರ-ಜಂಗಮಗಳಾದ ಸಮಸ್ತ ಶರೀರಿಗಳ ಧರ್ಮಾಧಿಕಾರದಲ್ಲಿ ನೀನೇ ಅಧಿಷ್ಠಿತನು. ಇಂದು ನಾನು ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ದಿನಗಣನೆ ಮೊದಲಾದ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯಗಳು ಹಾಗೂ ಆಚರಣಾ-ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಗೆ ನಿಯೋಜಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ; ನನ್ನ ಶಾಸನದಿಂದ ಎಲ್ಲರನ್ನೂ ಆಡಳಿತ ಮಾಡು.

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.