Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

पितेव सर्वभूतानां धर्मतः पालको भव । विध्वंसनीया विविधा धर्मध्वंसविधायिनः

Transliteration

piteva sarvabhūtānāṃ dharmataḥ pālako bhava | vidhvaṃsanīyā vividhā dharmadhvaṃsavidhāyinaḥ

Translation

പിതാവുപോലെ ധർമ്മത്തിലൂടെ സർവ്വഭൂതങ്ങളുടെ പാലകനാകുക; ധർമ്മനാശം വരുത്തുന്ന നാനാവിധ ദുഷ്ടരെ നശിപ്പിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുക.

Word by Word

• pitā: a father
• pitā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (Comparative particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमावाचक निपात

• sarvabhūtānām: of all beings
• sarvabhūtānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः—सर्वाणि भूतानि (कर्मधारयः)

• dharmataḥ: according to dharma / by righteousness
• dharmataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• pālakaḥ: protector
• pālakaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pālaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• bhava: be
• bhava: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• vidhvaṃsanīyāḥ: to be destroyed
• vidhvaṃsanīyāḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vidhvaṃsanīya (प्रातिपदिक; from √dhvaṃs with -anīya)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be destroyed’)

• vividhāḥ: various
• vividhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vividha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (vidhvaṃsanīyāḥ)

• dharmadhvaṃsavidhāyinaḥ: those who cause the destruction of dharma
• dharmadhvaṃsavidhāyinaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma-dhvaṃsa-vidhāyin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—धर्म + ध्वंस (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) + विधायिन् (तत्पुरुषः: ‘doer/causer’)

Speaker

Śiva (instruction to Viṣṇu)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva’s injunction visualized as Viṣṇu standing as guardian of the worlds: one hand in protection, another holding discus; behind him, peaceful citizens and sages; in the periphery, figures of adharma subdued—justice without cruelty.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld by compassionate protection of beings and firm removal of forces that undermine righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; the instruction appears within the wider Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse that celebrates Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical directive concerning governance and dharmic protection.