Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22
इत्यादि गुणवद्देशे त्वयिराज्यं प्रशासति । धर्मेण राजधर्मज्ञ शौंडीर्यगुणशालिनि
ityādi guṇavaddeśe tvayirājyaṃ praśāsati | dharmeṇa rājadharmajña śauṃḍīryaguṇaśālini
ഇത്തരമൊരു ഗുണസമ്പന്ന ദേശത്ത് നീ ധർമ്മത്താൽ രാജ്യം ഭരിക്കുന്നു—ഹേ രാജധർമ്മജ്ഞാ, ഹേ ശൗര്യസദ്ഗുണസമ്പന്നാ।
Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A dharmic king seated in audience, receiving counsel from learned elders/ascetics; behind him, Kāśī’s temples and ghāṭs; the king’s posture shows valor tempered by humility.
FAQs
A king’s greatness is measured by dharmic governance—protecting and ruling in alignment with sacred order.
Kāśī is the implied sacred realm whose social virtues and governance are being praised.
No ritual is prescribed; the verse is a eulogy of dharmic rule (rāja-dharma).