Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

परं द्वित्राः पवित्रा ये राजर्षे तव सद्गुणाः । तेष्वेषु राजसु मम प्रायशो न दृशं गताः

Transliteration

paraṃ dvitrāḥ pavitrā ye rājarṣe tava sadguṇāḥ | teṣveṣu rājasu mama prāyaśo na dṛśaṃ gatāḥ

Translation

എന്നാൽ, ഹേ രാജർഷേ, നിന്റെ ഈ പവിത്ര സദ്ഗുണങ്ങൾ അത്യന്തം ദുർലഭം—ഒരാൾ രണ്ടാളിൽ മാത്രമേ കാണപ്പെടൂ. ആ രാജാക്കന്മാരിൽ എനിക്ക് അവ പ്രായശഃ കാണാനായില്ല.

Word by Word

• परम्: only/at most
• परम्: Discourse marker (निबन्धन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘परम्’ = only/at most (limiting particle)

• द्वित्राः: two or three
• द्वित्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (द्वौ वा त्रयः)

• पवित्राः: pure
• पवित्राः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः/ये (relative pronoun)

• राजर्षे: O royal sage
• राजर्षे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सद्गुणाः: good qualities
• सद्गुणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (सन्तः गुणाः)

• तेषु: among them
• तेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• एषु: among these
• एषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• राजसु: among kings
• राजसु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• मम: of me/my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• प्रायशः: generally/for the most part
• प्रायशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रायशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-विशेषण (adverb)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• दृशम्: sight/vision
• दृशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृश् (प्रातिपदिक; स्त्रीलिङ्ग)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘दृशम् गच्छति’ = to come into view

• गताः: have come (into)
• गताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘gone/come’ (here: have come into)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājārṣi (addressed directly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reflective moment: the speaker gestures toward a vast assembly of kings fading into the background, while spotlighting the rājārṣi addressee as singular—surrounded by a subtle aura of purity; the mood is wonder at rarity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Genuine virtue is uncommon; the truly dharmic ruler stands out as a rājarṣi.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the passage occurs within the Kāśī-oriented narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is comparative praise of character.