Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

निष्प्रत्यूहं पठंत्येव सांगान्वेदान्द्विजोत्तमाः । महीपालाः प्रजाः कच्चित्पांति त्वमिवकेशव

Transliteration

niṣpratyūhaṃ paṭhaṃtyeva sāṃgānvedāndvijottamāḥ | mahīpālāḥ prajāḥ kaccitpāṃti tvamivakeśava

Translation

ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ദ്വിജന്മാർ അങ്ങങ്ങളോടുകൂടി വേദങ്ങൾ നിർവിഘ്നമായി പാരായണം ചെയ്യുന്നതുണ്ടോ? ഹേ കേശവാ, രാജാക്കന്മാർ നീ ലോകങ്ങളെ രക്ഷിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ പ്രജകളെ സംരക്ഷിക്കുന്നുണ്ടോ?

Word by Word

• निष्प्रत्यूहम्: without obstruction
• निष्प्रत्यूहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्प्रत्यूह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—निः (अव्यय-उपसर्ग/निषेध) + प्रत्यूह (प्रातिपदिक) = निष्प्रत्यूह (विघ्नरहित)

• पठन्ति: they recite/read
• पठन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/indeed)

• साङ्गान्: with the auxiliaries (Vedāṅgas)
• साङ्गान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—स (सहित) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) = साङ्ग (अङ्गैः सहित)

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• द्विजोत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• महीपालाः: kings/protectors of the earth
• महीपालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—महीम् पालयन्ति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रजाः: subjects/people
• प्रजाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कच्चित्: is it the case that…?
• कच्चित्: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-निपात (interrogative particle: 'whether?')

• पान्ति: they protect
• पान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक-निपात (like/as)

• केशव: O Keśava
• केशव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Śambhu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (typical frame; not explicit in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Dhūrjaṭi) inquiring of Keśava about the unhindered chanting of the Vedas and the protection of subjects by kings; a calm, court-like cosmic setting with sages and royal emblems.

Characters & Entities

• Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• Dvijottamas
• Vedas (with Vedāṅgas)
• Mahīpālas (kings)
• Prajā (subjects)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Society thrives when sacred learning is unhindered and rulers mirror divine protection through just governance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; it supports the Kāśī Mahātmya’s wider vision of a dharmic world.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Uninterrupted Vedic recitation (with Vedāṅgas) and the duty of kings to protect subjects (rājadharma).