Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

कौशिको राज्यमाप्यापि श्रेष्ठत्वात्पक्षिणां मुने । निर्गुणत्वाच्च तैः सर्वैः स राज्यादवरोपितः

Transliteration

kauśiko rājyamāpyāpi śreṣṭhatvātpakṣiṇāṃ mune | nirguṇatvācca taiḥ sarvaiḥ sa rājyādavaropitaḥ

Translation

Wahai muni, meskipun Kauśika memperoleh kerajaan kerana keunggulannya dalam kalangan burung, namun kerana ketiadaan sifat mulia, dia diturunkan dari takhta oleh mereka semua.

Word by Word

• कौशिकः: Kauśika
• कौशिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौशिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular

• राज्यम्: kingdom; rule
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular

• आप्य: having obtained
• आप्य: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having obtained’

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (particle: even/also)

• श्रेष्ठत्वात्: because of superiority
• श्रेष्ठत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेष्ठत्व (प्रातिपदिक; तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — neuter ablative singular; हेतुवाचक (cause)

• पक्षिणाम्: of the birds
• पक्षिणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — masculine genitive plural

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — masculine vocative singular

• निर्गुणत्वात्: because of lack of merit/qualities
• निर्गुणत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्गुणत्व (प्रातिपदिक; तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — neuter ablative singular; हेतुवाचक (cause)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), बहुवचन — masculine/neuter instrumental plural (pronoun)

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), बहुवचन — masculine instrumental plural; विशेषणम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular (pronoun)

• राज्यात्: from the kingdom
• राज्यात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — neuter ablative singular

• अवरोपितः: was deposed; removed
• अवरोपितः: Kriya (Participial predicate/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + √रुह्/√रोप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — masculine nominative singular; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (addressed explicitly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bird-king (Kauśika) enthroned among birds, then being collectively removed as they turn away in disapproval; the throne stands empty as a moral symbol.

Characters & Entities

• Kauśika
• Pakṣiṇaḥ (birds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authority gained by strength or superiority is unstable without guṇa (virtue); dharma sustains legitimate rule.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse delivers a dharma-tinged narrative motif within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.