Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

दंडः परशुकुद्दाल वालव्य जनराजिषु । आतपत्रेषु नान्यत्र क्वचित्क्रोधापराधजः

Transliteration

daṃḍaḥ paraśukuddāla vālavya janarājiṣu | ātapatreṣu nānyatra kvacitkrodhāparādhajaḥ

Translation

ജനക്കൂട്ടങ്ങളിൽ ശിക്ഷ എന്നത് കൊടുവാൾ, കുദാലി പോലുള്ള കഠിന ഉപകരണങ്ങളായി മാത്രം നിലകൊള്ളുകയും; പദവിയുടെ കുടകൾ ഒഴികെ എല്ലായിടത്തും ക്രോധ-അപരാധജന്യ ശിക്ഷകൾ മാത്രം കാണപ്പെടുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നിടത്ത്—ധർമ്മം ക്ഷയിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• दण्डः: punishment, rod
• दण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• परशु: axe
• परशु: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अत्र समाहार-निर्देश (as item)

• कुद्दाल: spade, hoe
• कुद्दाल: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुद्दाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अत्र समाहार-निर्देश (as item)

• वालव्य: a club/implement (vālavya)
• वालव्य: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपकरण-नाम (tool/implement)

• जनराजिषु: among rows/crowds of people
• जनराजिषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन + राजि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• आतपत्रेषु: in umbrellas/parasols
• आतपत्रेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतपत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Desha (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: elsewhere)

• क्वचित्: somewhere, at any time
• क्वचित्: Desha (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite: somewhere/ever)

• क्रोधापराधजः: arising from anger and offence
• क्रोधापराधजः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रोध + अपराध + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘दण्डः’); ‘ज’ = उत्पत्तिवाचक (born of)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A crowd where ‘punishment’ appears as axes and spades raised in anger; parasols of rank float above, symbolizing hollow authority; opposite, Kāśī shows orderly procession with priests, lamps, and calm guardians.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rule driven by anger and crude force signals the absence of dharma; righteous discipline must be rooted in moral law, not wrath.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is praised implicitly as a dharmic realm, contrasted with places where social order collapses into violence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, reinforcing the Mahātmya by contrasting dharmic and adharmic governance.