Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

अनीतयश्च तद्ग्रामानाराजपुरुषाः क्वचित् । गृहेगृहेत्र धनदा नाक एकोऽलकापतिः

Transliteration

anītayaśca tadgrāmānārājapuruṣāḥ kvacit | gṛhegṛhetra dhanadā nāka eko'lakāpatiḥ

Translation

ସେହି ଗ୍ରାମଗୁଡ଼ିକରେ ଅନ୍ୟାୟ ନାହିଁ, କେଉଁଠି ମଧ୍ୟ ପୀଡ଼ାଦାୟକ ରାଜପୁରୁଷ ଦେଖାଯାଆନ୍ତି ନାହିଁ; ଏଠାରେ ତ ଘରେଘରେ ଧନଦା ପରି ଧନସମୃଦ୍ଧି, ଯେଉଁଥିରେ ସ୍ୱର୍ଗରେ ଅଲକାପତି କୁବେର ଏକମାତ୍ର ଧନଦାତା।

Word by Word

• अनीतयः: no injustices/misrules
• अनीतयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + नीत (प्रातिपदिक; √नी (धातु) से नीत, ‘policy/discipline’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘अनीतयः’ = absence of misrule/evil policies (or ‘no injustices’)

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तद्ग्रामान्: those villages
• तद्ग्रामान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• आराजपुरुषाः: without royal officials
• आराजपुरुषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + राजपुरुष (प्रातिपदिक; राज + पुरुष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘अ-’ नञ् (no royal officers)

• क्वचित्: anywhere/at any time
• क्वचित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb)

• गृहे: in (each) house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• गृहे: in house after house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (reduplication)

• इत्र: here
• इत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here/there; variant of इह/इत:)

• धनदाः: givers of wealth (Kubera-like)
• धनदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनद (प्रातिपदिक; धन + द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• नाक: in heaven
• नाक: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (पाठानुसार); ‘in heaven’

• एकः: one
• एकः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अलकापतिः: lord of Alakā (Kubera)
• अलकापतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलकापति (प्रातिपदिक; अलका + पति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (and its grāmas)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Peaceful Kāśī villages with open doors, content households, no soldiers harassing people; wealth symbolized by full granaries and lamps. In contrast, a small celestial inset shows Kubera alone as Alakā’s lord, while on earth wealth is distributed widely.

Characters & Entities

• Kubera (Alakāpati)
• Svarga (Nāka)
• Divodāsa (implied)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma in governance manifests as justice, non-oppression, and shared prosperity—signs of a land blessed by sacred power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is implied as the realm whose villages are marked by justice and abundance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes societal fruits of dharmic rule rather than a specific rite.