Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

धर्माधिकरणं यत्र धर्मराजोप्यवाप्तवान् । सुदुष्करं तपस्तप्त्वा परमेण समाधिना

Transliteration

dharmādhikaraṇaṃ yatra dharmarājopyavāptavān | suduṣkaraṃ tapastaptvā parameṇa samādhinā

Translation

Di tempat itu terletak kedudukan kuasa pengadilan dharma, yang bahkan Dharmarāja pun mencapainya setelah bertapa amat sukar dalam samādhi yang tertinggi.

Word by Word

• धर्माधिकरणम्: seat/abode of dharma
• धर्माधिकरणम्: Karma/Predicate nominative (कर्म/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अधिकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धर्मस्य अधिकरणम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• धर्मराजः: Dharmarāja (Yama)
• धर्मराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धर्मस्य राजा), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; sandhi in धर्मराजोऽपि

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle) — “also/even”

• अवाप्तवान्: obtained/attained
• अवाप्तवान्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु) + क्तवत्
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “obtained”

• सुदुष्करम्: very difficult
• सुदुष्करम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (अत्यन्तं दुष्करम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (qualifying तपः)

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; sandhi in तपस् + तप्त्वा

• तप्त्वा: having performed
• तप्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), “having performed (austerity)”

• परमेण: supreme
• परमेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (agreeing with समाधिना)

• समाधिना: with concentration/meditative absorption
• समाधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharma-adhikaraṇa-sthāna in Kāśī (conceptual seat)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dharmarāja (Yama) seated on a dignified dharma-āsana within a serene Kāśī grove/ghāṭa precinct, eyes half-closed in samādhi; austerity marks, minimal retinue, a sense of cosmic jurisprudence.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja (Yama)
• Samādhi
• Tapas
• Dharma-adhikaraṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supreme authority in dharma is linked to deep tapas and samādhi; sacred places amplify and witness such attainments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A dharma-empowering locus within Kāśī’s sacred geography is praised, though unnamed in the verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas and samādhi are highlighted as disciplines; no specific external ritual is prescribed.