Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । अहं यियक्षमाणस्य तव साहाय्यकर्मणि । दासोस्मि यज्ञसंभारान्नयमेको शतोऽखिलान्

Transliteration

rājovāca | ahaṃ yiyakṣamāṇasya tava sāhāyyakarmaṇi | dāsosmi yajñasaṃbhārānnayameko śato'khilān

Translation

രാജാവ് പറഞ്ഞു—‘നിങ്ങൾ യജ്ഞം ചെയ്യാൻ ഒരുങ്ങിയിരിക്കുന്നു; അതിലെ സഹായകാര്യത്തിൽ ഞാൻ നിങ്ങളുടെ ദാസൻ. യജ്ഞസാമഗ്രികൾ എല്ലാം—നൂറുകണക്കിനുള്ളവ—ഞാൻ ഒരുത്തൻ തന്നെ പൂർണ്ണമായി കൊണ്ടുവരാം।’

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (masculine nominative singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्णभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (perfect, 3rd person singular)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (nominative singular pronoun)

• यियक्षमाणस्य: of (you) wishing to sacrifice
• यियक्षमाणस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यियक्षमाण (प्रातिपदिक; √यज् धातु, सन्-इच्छार्थ + शानच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; इच्छार्थक वर्तमानकृदन्त (desiderative present participle; genitive singular)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive singular pronoun)

• साहाय्यकर्मणि: in the work of helping
• साहाय्यकर्मणि: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहाय्य + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (साहाय्यस्य कर्मणि) (locative singular; 'in the act of assistance')

• दासः: servant
• दासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (masculine nominative singular)

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (present indicative, 1st person singular)

• यज्ञसंभारान्: sacrificial requisites/materials
• यज्ञसंभारान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + संभार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (यज्ञस्य संभारान्) (masculine accusative plural)

• नय: lead; bring
• नय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नी (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (imperative, 2nd person singular)

• म: me
• म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (accusative singular pronoun)

• एकः: alone; single
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (masculine nominative singular)

• शतः: a hundred (men)
• शतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (masculine nominative singular; numeral used substantively)

• अखिलान्: all; entire
• अखिलान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; विशेषण (masculine accusative plural)

Speaker

The King (Rājā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇa (the sacrificer/ritual leader)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, resolute and humble, offers assistance: attendants carry lists and bundles—ghee pots, samidh, vessels, cloth, grains—symbolizing ‘hundreds of requisites’; the brāhmaṇa stands as yajamāna/ṛtvij figure in a Kāśī courtyard.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā
• Vipra (implied)
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True kingship expresses itself as seva—supporting dharmic rites and serving the sacred work of yajña.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse centers on yajña-support; it occurs within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Support for yajña: arranging and providing yajña-saṃbhāra (sacrificial materials) as an act of dharma and patronage.