Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92
वर्णाश्रमाश्च यद्राष्ट्रे ऽनुतिष्ठंति निजां क्रियाम् । कालेनापन्ननिधना भूपास्तेऽस्य सभासदः
varṇāśramāśca yadrāṣṭre 'nutiṣṭhaṃti nijāṃ kriyām | kālenāpannanidhanā bhūpāste'sya sabhāsadaḥ
Dalam kerajaan yang varṇa dan āśrama menunaikan tugas masing-masing dengan tertib—raja-raja itu, apabila tiba waktunya dan menemui ajal, menjadi anggota majlis istana Yama.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Scene: A prosperous kingdom: brāhmaṇas teaching, kṣatriyas guarding, vaiśyas trading, householders performing rites; the king oversees with humility; a subtle time-wheel (kāla-cakra) hints at mortality and Yama’s court beyond.
FAQs
A ruler’s greatness is measured by how well dharma flourishes under his protection—social and spiritual duties sustained without coercion into adharma.
The Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s broader Kāśī-mahātmya context frames these teachings, though this verse is primarily political-ethical.
The prescription is societal: each varṇa and āśrama should perform its own prescribed duties properly.