Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5
Devanagari script
कौशिको राज्यमाप्यापि श्रेष्ठत्वात्पक्षिणां मुने । निर्गुणत्वाच्च तैः सर्वैः स राज्यादवरोपितः
Transliteration
kauśiko rājyamāpyāpi śreṣṭhatvātpakṣiṇāṃ mune | nirguṇatvācca taiḥ sarvaiḥ sa rājyādavaropitaḥ
Translation
ഹേ മുനേ, പക്ഷികളിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠനായതിനാൽ കൗശികൻ രാജ്യം പ്രാപിച്ചെങ്കിലും, ഗുണഹീനത കാരണം എല്ലാവരും ചേർന്ന് അവനെ സിംഹാസനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് നീക്കി.
Word by Word
कौशिकःKauśika
कौशिकः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकौशिक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular
राज्यम्kingdom; rule
राज्यम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootराज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular
आप्यhaving obtained
आप्य:
Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
TypeVerb
Root√आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
Formल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having obtained’
अपिeven; also
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अप्यर्थ (particle: even/also)
श्रेष्ठत्वात्because of superiority
श्रेष्ठत्वात्:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootश्रेष्ठत्व (प्रातिपदिक; तद्धित)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — neuter ablative singular; हेतुवाचक (cause)
पक्षिणाम्of the birds
पक्षिणाम्:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootपक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — masculine genitive plural
मुनेO sage
मुने:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootमुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — masculine vocative singular
निर्गुणत्वात्because of lack of merit/qualities
निर्गुणत्वात्:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootनिर्गुणत्व (प्रातिपदिक; तद्धित)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — neuter ablative singular; हेतुवाचक (cause)
चand
च:
Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)
तैःby them
तैः:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), बहुवचन — masculine/neuter instrumental plural (pronoun)
सर्वैःby all
सर्वैः:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), बहुवचन — masculine instrumental plural; विशेषणम्
सःhe
सः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular (pronoun)
राज्यात्from the kingdom
राज्यात्:
Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootराज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — neuter ablative singular
अवरोपितःwas deposed; removed
अवरोपितः:
Kriya (Participial predicate/क्रियाविशेष)
TypeVerb
Rootअव + √रुह्/√रोप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — masculine nominative singular; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)
Speaker
Skanda
Skanda Dialogue
Listener: muni (addressed explicitly)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A bird-king (Kauśika) enthroned among birds, then being collectively removed as they turn away in disapproval; the throne stands empty as a moral symbol.
Characters & Entities
K
KauśikaP
Pakṣiṇaḥ (birds)FAQs
Authority gained by strength or superiority is unstable without guṇa (virtue); dharma sustains legitimate rule.
No tīrtha is named; the verse delivers a dharma-tinged narrative motif within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa.
None.