Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5
तवबुद्धिविकासेन च्यवते चेत्स धर्मतः । तदा सा नगरी भानो त्वयोद्वास्याऽसहैः करैः
tavabuddhivikāsena cyavate cetsa dharmataḥ | tadā sā nagarī bhāno tvayodvāsyā'sahaiḥ karaiḥ
നിന്റെ ബുദ്ധിവികാസം മൂലം ആ രാജാവ് ധർമ്മവിരോധത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മാറി ധർമ്മത്തിൽ സ്ഥിരനാകുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ, ഹേ ഭാനോ, അസഹ്യമായ നികുതികളാൽ ആ നഗരിയെ നീ ഉജ്ജാടിപ്പിക്കരുത്।
Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame: Skanda to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Sūrya is addressed as a cosmic regulator; the city of Kāśī is shown thriving when the king reforms—markets calm, pilgrims unburdened—contrasted with the implied threat of ‘unbearable taxes’.
FAQs
Reform is preferred over punishment: if a ruler returns to dharma, harsh measures that oppress people should cease.
Kāśī, referred to as ‘that city’ (sā nagarī), whose welfare is central to the narrative.
None; the verse addresses dharmic statecraft—avoiding oppressive taxation.