Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

राज्ञां क्रतुक्रियाभ्योपि तीर्थेभ्योपि समंततः । प्रजापालनमेवैको धर्मः प्रोक्तो मनीषिभिः

Transliteration

rājñāṃ kratukriyābhyopi tīrthebhyopi samaṃtataḥ | prajāpālanamevaiko dharmaḥ prokto manīṣibhiḥ

Translation

രാജാക്കന്മാർക്ക് യജ്ഞകർമ്മങ്ങളേക്കാളും, എല്ലാദിക്കുകളിലുമുള്ള തീർത്ഥസേവനത്തേക്കാളും, മുനിമാർ പ്രസ്താവിച്ച ഏക പരമധർമ്മം പ്രജാപാലനവും സംരക്ഷണവും തന്നെയാണ്.

Word by Word

• rājñām: of kings
• rājñām: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th, Genitive), बहुवचन

• kratu-kriyābhyāḥ: from/than sacrificial rites
• kratu-kriyābhyāḥ: Apadana (Comparison/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kratu (प्रातिपदिक) + kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th, Ablative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘क्रतोः क्रिया’)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक निपात (even)

• tīrthebhyaḥ: from/than pilgrim places
• tīrthebhyaḥ: Apadana (Comparison/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th, Ablative), बहुवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• samantataḥ: altogether/on all sides
• samantataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सर्वतः-पर्याय क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: on all sides/altogether)

• prajā-pālanam: protection of subjects
• prajā-pālanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक) + pālana (प्रातिपदिक; √pāl)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st, Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘प्रजायाः पालनम्’)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• ekaḥ: single/one
• ekaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• dharmaḥ: duty/dharma
• dharmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• proktaḥ: has been declared
• proktaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ

• manīṣibhiḥ: by sages/wise men
• manīṣibhiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manīṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd, Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

A dharmaśīla king (addressing a Brāhmaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: sages or a brāhmaṇa teacher points to a symbolic scale—on one side yajña implements and tīrtha maps, on the other a protective umbrella over citizens—showing prajā-pālana outweighing ritual travel.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā (king)
• Kratu (sacrifice)
• Tīrtha
• Prajā (subjects)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is measured by responsibility: for rulers, safeguarding subjects outweighs personal religious merit-seeking.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

While tīrthas are mentioned generally, the discourse is situated in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa tradition centered on Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse relativizes rituals and pilgrimages, placing prajā-pālana (just protection) as the king’s primary ‘rite’.